Crying For Hope
by D.notebook
Summary: The notorious Lotus gang has it out for Fitzwilliam Darcy, even more so now that he has managed to put away one of their essential members. Lotus kidnaps Georgiana and now Darcy is stuck with dealing with dirty political leaders in his country, so he seeks out help through an American agency to find his sister.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Sentenced to a Life of Hell**

"And has the jury reached a verdict?" The Honorable Judge Powers asked.

"Yes your honor, we the jury, find defendant Daniel Denny guilty of the crime of unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances on all four counts"

"Does the council wish for the jury to be polled?"

"No your honor, that will not be necessary" answered Mrs. Younge, Mr. Denny's lawyer.

"Then the court will enter judgment consistent with the verdict" stated Judge Powers. "Ladies and Gentlemen this has been a long trial and I can't begin to express my gratitude and the gratitude of your country and your community, for the service that you have performed. All of us in this courtroom know how disruptive and how difficult it is to serve on a criminal jury yet we should always keep in mind that sitting on a jury really is a cornerstone of one of the basic freedoms that we have in America and you have all done more than your part to preserve that freedom. Let me remind you that your deliberations have been and remain secret and confidential and you shouldn't discuss the jury deliberations with other people. On behalf of the counsel, the parties and the jury is now released and dismissed. Thank you." Judge Powers rose and left the court room.

Fitzwilliam Darcy let out the breath he had been holding and rose from his seat. It had been a long trial and he was glad to finally see it come to a close with Mr. Denny put behind bars. The Lotus Association had been a plague on his life since his father's murder and he was finally making progress in dispensing the notorious gang responsible for most of the drug trafficking in the Texas and taking the legal way to getting his revenge on Wickham.

Making his way out of the court house he found his Maybach and driver waiting for him down the steps of the building.

Once he was settled inside Mr. Hill his driver spoke, "Congratulations sir, if you are ready we'll head straight to the air strip for you flight back home".

Darcy glanced up and said, "Yes I am quite ready thank you Hill".

Darcy had been away from home for four months now and truly missed his ancestral home's comfort. He had missed his sister Georgiana's company and after finally seeing one of Lotus's key minions hauled away for good Darcy was able to breathe a little easier. Although he knew putting Mr. Denny away was not the same as getting Wickham, today's win was definitely a huge step in the right direction.

They arrived at the air strip and Hill opened the door for Mr. Darcy, who then proceeded to board his Bombardier BD Jet and gave the ok for take-off, 10 more hours and he would be back in London. Upon landing in London, Mr. Darcy was driven to his home in town where he would meet with Georgiana and they would spend the evening there, then drive to Pemberley the following morning. Hill pulled the car into the drive way and opened the door for Mr. Darcy.

"Thank you Hill, please retire for the evening I will not be in need of you services, good night" Mr. Darcy said to his trusted driver of many years. With his mothers passing from cancer when he was 13 and his father's murder six years ago having trusted household employs really helped him deal with their deaths and having to raise Georgiana. Walking up to the front door Darcy was surprised to see it slightly ajar. Thinking it was just Mrs. Walker the housekeeper thinking about his arrival he pushed the door open and the sight that greeted him made his mouth drop and eyes pop out of their sockets. The house was completely thrown in disorder. Paintings that once graced the walls with precision were now covering the floors along with books and broken pieces of decor, the furniture was torn and in disarray and the walls were covered with the word _Lotus _sprayed across them. Darcy was fuming, instantly a storm of anger burned in his chest and he dropped his bags and began running through the house.

"Georgie? Georgie?" He screamed looking in all the rooms on the first floor and still nothing. He started climbing the steps towards the second story still yelling for his sister. The second story looked worse than the first. So many different emotions were flowing through his body all at once, but the one he was most certain of was the fear. It was coursing through him like boiling the blood in his veins. Where was Georgiana? Reaching her bedroom he flung the door open.

"Georgie? Are you in here?" Voice booming loud, but still trembling with panic. No one answered, checking the bathroom, closets and under the bed he found nothing. Darcy reached in his pocket and called Georgiana's cell and was instantly sent to voicemail. Darcy ran out into the hall towards his own bedroom and was shocked to find it sprayed bright red with the word _Lotus_ in large letters vertically down the front of the door.

Hill who had heard Mr. Darcy's screams from the pool house where he stayed was floored when he walked into the house and immediately sought out Mr. Darcy finding him standing in front of his bedroom door looking white as a sheet of paper. Darcy himself was afraid of what lay behind those doors and was frozen in place seething in anger and worst of all fear of the unknown.

"Sir" Hills approached Mr. Darcy very cautiously, "Should I call the police?" This seemed to wake Darcy from his frozen state of shock.

"No, just… just wait right there." He started to turn the door knob to his bedroom, very slowly stepping inside. His room was in perfect order, what? This didn't make any sense. "Georgie?" He looked in his dressing room, closet, bathroom again turning up with nothing. He scanned his bedroom for anything out of place starting from the window and moving towards the door eyes moving up and down the room until they froze on a manila envelope perched against his pillow. He was by his bed in a split second and grabbed the envelope ripping it open and dumping its contents on the mattress in front of him. Out of the envelope fell a chain of some sort and a 3x5 note card which Darcy immediately picked up.

He read the card three times, each time finding it harder and harder to breath. His eyes were bulging from their sockets, jaw clenched and breathing deep and frantic. Turning to the necklace that lay on the bed he immediately noticed it was his mother's chain that she gave to Georgiana before she passed and she never went anywhere without it. Darcy felt his heart drop, picking up the note card his eyes flew across the words again, _Congratulations on your win in court today William, too bad it cost you your sister. Take this as your last warning, come after Lotus again and the only chance that necklace has of gracing Georgie's beautiful neck again is when it is detached from its body. _

Hill stood in the doorway and watched as the emotions passed across his employers eyes. "Sir?" He said near a whisper waiting for orders from Mr. Darcy. Darcy kept his head down, water glossing over his eyes awaiting their imminent release.

Pulling all his remaining strengthen to speak he addressed Mr. Hill, "Ready the car and drive us to the Milton Hotel we'll leave for Pemberley in the morning."

"Yes Sir" Hill knew all about the threats of the Lotus group against The Darcy family and realized that informing local law enforcement about what has occurred would be a lost cause considering the Lotus group's association with dirty political leaders. He picked up Mr. Darcy's discarded luggage in the foyer and placed them in the boot of the car, he opened the backseat passenger door and waited for his employer to make his way out of the house.

Darcy remained motionless on top of his bed, thoughts of Georgie filled his head, where was she?, what was she going through? Was she hurt? Is she cold? Is she alive? NO! That one thought was not going to flood his mind, she was alive and he was going to find her no matter what. Thoughts of his mother, his father and Georgie ran through his head at a million miles per second until he finally let the tears fall. Clutching his mother's necklace he leaned back against his headboard and pillows bringing his legs to his chest he rested his elbows on his knees and let his head fall into his hands and he cried. After minutes of pure vulnerability that would break the hearts of anyone looking in, Darcy wiped his face, pulled out his phone and called the one person he knew could help him get Georgie back.

"Hello?" answered the voice very groggily like someone just being awakened from sleep.

"They've kidnapped Georgie, She's gone…" Darcy's voice trembled into the phone.

"WHAT! Shit Darcy what happened?" The voice was fully awake now.

"After the case I came back to London found the house completely thrown into havoc they left her necklace and a note that said if I ever came after Lotus again they would … they would " Darcy couldn't finish the sentence, his stomach started contracting and he could feel its contents rushing up his throat. Putting the phone down on the bed he bent over the side and began throwing up on his bedroom floor.

"Darcy? Darcy?" the voice was now yelling into the phone trying to figure out what they hell was going on on the other end.

Darcy finished yakking over the side of the bed and picked up the phone.

"I need your help, I got to get her back, but we both know how deep the Lotus runs here in London, they have their hands in everyone's business." Darcy said into the phone, breath still hitched from throwing up.

"Darcy, we are going to get her back, but first you need to get your ass out of that house and you need to go somewhere safe, uh…" Darcy could hear movement on the other end and things falling, "ow…shit"

"What's happening? What's going on?" Darcy's voice was full of panic, he could hear more movement and finally the voice replied,

"Ow, sorry Darcy I was just trying make my way down the stairs without a light, but that doesn't matter just get out of the house now and give me a minute, stay on while I make a quick phone call" the voice said out of breath while finally switching on the light in his study and picking up the landline to make a call.

"Uh, ok" was all Darcy could manage to get out before grabbing the necklace the note and heading out of the door towards his waiting car. Hill closed the door as he climbed in and went to climb in his driver seat.

"The Milton Hotel Sir?" Hill asked seeking confirmation

"Uhm, no Hill just give me a minute to finish this call" Darcy said confused himself about what to do next. He was still holding the phone to his ear and could hear some mumbled conversation only being able to make out the words, "Thanks Bugs I really owe you one" coming from the voice on the other end.

"Darcy? Darcy you there man?"

"Yeah, who were you speaking to?"

"A very trustworthy friend who owns a house in Weinstein some 30 miles from you are, it's somewhere you'll be safe away from the eyes of Lotus. I just texted you the address, you'll stay there tonight, the housekeeper Mrs. Reyes will be there waiting for your arrival."

"I am not staying in some random persons house, I'm going to the Milton Hotel" Darcy said appalled that he would assume that he would hide away at an unknown place, who knows what conditions this home held.

"Everyone in London knows where you live, what you look like and the moment you step foot into a public place Lotus eyes will be on you, Darcy you asked for my help and here I am giving you your only option to staying under the Lotus's radar" said the voice while raking his hands through his hair, Darcy has always been a prideful stubborn bastard, but now was not the time.

"I will not hide, My sister is somewhere out there and you expect me to run for cover and protect myself? Some fucked up big brother I am" Darcy spat into the phone.

"Listen you walk into that hotel and I swear you will be under surveillance of the Lotus, shit you're probably under surveillance now. If you want to see Georgie again you got to be alive and that's not going to happen if you are staying in the public's eyes. Take your ass to that address and stay there until I make arrangements for you to do otherwise. Please do not fight me on this, the house belongs to very trustworthy people who can help, but you just got to trust me Darce. Can you just do that this one time please?" nothing but desperation was coming from the voice and Darcy knew that of all the people in the world he was the only person he truly trusted with his and Georgie's life.

"Alright Richard, I'll do it your way".


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Strange Land**

Darcy and Hill made their way to the address Richard had texted him and a mile from their destination they arrived at very large black iron gates which started to pull back and open creating an entry way thru the middle once the two sides finally parted. The gates then proceed to close to their original state once the car passed the gate railings. There were a strings of lamps lit on both sides of the paved road guiding them along the path that was now surrounded by lush green trees creating a sort of fortress like scene. Darcy was never one to be nervous or worried, but tonight he was slapped in the face by both those feelings and it was unnerving. His heart was racing as the house was finally coming into view; this was certainly not what he was expecting when his cousin said he had a place for him to stay. The house was gorgeous. It looked as if the house was built to be a cross between a mini castle and very modern day townhouse(1). Every window of the mansion was lit, adding a glow to the exterior of the house that complemented the simple landscaping and rustic stone paved driveway. The house was the only one he had seen for miles and judging by the large gate and surround trees it was as if it was specifically placed to conceal it from the outside world. Darcy began to wonder who exactly this friend of Richards was. Before he had time to fully contemplate it Hill had already stopped the car and opened his door for him.

Darcy took a deep breath and climbed out the car, he opened his mouth to say something to Hill, but was interrupted by the front door opening and out stepped a very small woman about five feet around the age of fifty flanked by two men dressed black suits. The party of three were approaching Darcy and Hill rather quickly.

"Good Evening Sir, You must be Mr. Darcy I presume? I am Mrs. Amy Reyes the housekeeper and these gentlemen are the heads of security here at the Gardiner Manor. This is Mr. Henry Lennon and Mr. Paul Novak" The woman addressed him with a very genuine smile spread across her face.

"A pleasure to meet you Mrs. Reyes, Mr. Lennon, Mr. Novak" Darcy said with all the calmness and civility he could muster up considering the circumstances of this situation and shook each one's hand. "This is my driver Mr. Hill… uhm I would like to thank you for welcoming us on such short notice, I do apologize for any inconvenience our arrival might have caused Mrs. Reyes" Darcy was all nerves, but did what he always did when in new company and retreated to putting on his mask of iron and remained as calm and collected as possible.

"Oh nonsense Mr. Darcy, you are a welcomed guest of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, why don't we make our way inside for some hot beverages it is quite nippy out this evening" and with that Mr. Lennon and Mr. Novak retrieved Mr. Darcy's belongings and proceeded to follow Mrs. Reyes, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Hill into the house.

Darcy followed Mrs. Reyes into the house his mask secured firmly on his face controlling all the emotions that were jumping around inside him. Only thing the outside world saw when they looked at him was his ever present stoic demeanor that he wore when thrown into events calling for social interaction with strangers.

Mrs. Reyes noticed for a split second a look that flashed across his eyes when she first looked into them as a look of sadness, but that was quickly reset to a more stern and all business type look that made her wonder what this Mr. Darcy was about. She quickly scanned the way he held himself and would easily write him off as proud, haughty and arrogant, but those opinions of the man before her were set aside for the moment. She did not know much about him, but living in London her whole life she was aware of the Darcy name. The Darcy name was among one of the richest and highest social families in all of Europe which really sparked her interest when it came to figuring out what a man like Mr. Darcy was doing being housed at the home of her employers Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. Regardless of her curiosity she would welcome Mr. Darcy with all the hospitality and civility expected of her as house keeper of the Gardiner manor.

The group arrived in the foyer where they were greeted by a butler who stood ready to collect coats and belongings from the guests.

Mrs. Reyes addressed Mr. Darcy "Ah, Mr. Darcy if you would please follow me into the sitting room, I will have the butler show Mr. Hill to his quarters and get him settled in". She then turned and nodded towards the butler who swiped his hand in front of him towards the hall motioning for Mr. Hill to follow him through the hallway entrance. This left Darcy standing in the foyer with Mrs. Reyes and the other two gentlemen.

Darcy knew Hill would have to leave, but he would have liked to have someone he was familiar with alongside him while he was going through the motions of this awkward situation. Seeing Hill walk away he checked his mask and nodded to Mrs. Reyes signaling that he agreed and they made their way to the sitting room.

Walking through the house Darcy noticed that the inside was just as amazing as the outside. Although he was expecting a more extravagant display of wealth as he was usually accustomed to when entering homes whose exteriors looked like that of this house, what he encountered was breathtaking. Gardiner manor was the definition of the term warm welcoming. Rather than having large murals, paintings and enormous statuary as home décor, the walls were covered with family photos of people he had never seen before, but one could definitely see that the family that lived here was a very tight nit family judging by the way they smiled and posed together. Although there were professional photos of the family hanging, there were some candid portraits that were more personal and he could see that by the way they smiled and embraced each other that their happiness and love was genuine. This observation of the family that lived here made his heart drop bringing him back to reality and thoughts of his current state of affairs regarding his family began flooding through him again. Waking up from his thoughts he found himself being seated in a large room with a few large brown leather chairs and sofas that were situated some 10 feet back from a very full sized fireplace that was warming up the room very nicely. The corner of the room to the left of the fireplace held a Steinway grand piano. Seeing the piano brought back memories of Georgiana sitting behind her own piano, eyes closed and fingers flowing along the ivory keys effortlessly. Darcy could feel his heart pounding, so hard in his chest he began to feel self conscious that the other occupants in the room could hear it. Settling down into the couch he finally found his voice.

"This is a lovely home Mrs. Reyes; may I inquire as to who the owners are? I heard you say a Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, but I not the pleasure of ever being acquainted with them". Darcy was curious as to why all the lights were lit, but the driveway was empty and it seemed the only sounds within the home were the ones coming from the occupants in this room.

"Yes Mr. Darcy" Mrs. Reyes answered while setting a steaming cup of tea in from of him. "My employers Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are out of the country at the moment, they are usually only here when vacationing or within the area conducting business". Mrs. Reyes finished while Mr. Novak and Mr. Lennon took seats on the couch opposite Mr. Darcy.

"If you will excuse me gentlemen I must see to this evenings meal, please call if there is anything I may assist you all with" and with that Mrs. Reyes left the room shutting the doors behind her to allow the gentlemen some privacy.

"Mr. Darcy" Mr. Lennon spoke for the first time that evening, "I am sure you have many questions regarding the home, its occupants and why it is you were introduced to Mr. Novak and I upon arrival". Darcy sipped his tea and stared at Mr. Lennon while he spoke finally noticing his appearance. While he was dressed very professionally in a black suit black tie and white dress shirt, he was by no means your typical businessman. He was very well built; one would even say quite buff signifying that he was not a stranger to the gym. His dress coat was unbuttoned and displaying that he was indeed strapped with his gun holstered in its case on the left side of his chest. The same could be said about his partner Mr. Novak but when it came to facial expressions Darcy could see that Novak was more relaxed and nonchalant about the whole thing where Mr. Lennon was obviously the more serious and more responsible of the two. "When we received a call from Miss Gardiner about an hour ago we were told to be expecting a guest within the hour that was a very important friend of the family and we're to proceed to take full cautionary procedures to ensure your safety during your stay here."

Darcy was taken back a bit by Mr. Lennon's speech. First he had said that a Miss Gardiner was the one whom informed of his arrival calling him an important family friend and next she was telling them to protect him. Was this some sort of joke? Who was this Miss Gardiner and why the hell was Richard so trusting of her? Did she really think these two guys in front of him were going to be able to stop Lotus men if they wanted to get into this house? He was definitely getting agitated, but remembering his promise to trust Richard he set aside his feelings to storm out and do things his way and decided to get some answers.

"And how exactly do you presume to ensure my safety; do you even know what you are keeping me safe from?" Darcy said with a little more coldness then he had wanted to release setting his cup down and straightening up in his seat staring Mr. Lennon down with a gaze that if it could would burn holes through his face.

"Mr. Darcy we do not know the particulars as to why you are here, that is none of our business but we do have orders from the boss to keep you safe and Mr. Novak and myself have every intention of doing just that". Mr. Lennon was all seriousness and was now leaning forward in his seat elbows placed on his knees returning Mr. Darcy's glaring eye contact " We may be just two men, but I assure you along with S.A.I.A surveillance technology we are very well equipped to take on any threat before they are even within twenty miles of the premises". Mr. Lennon finished with his jaw set to counter any type of response Mr. Darcy will have regarding their ability and skills.

Darcy was taken back by the forwardness of Mr. Lennon, maybe he was jumping to conclusions about their capacity to protect him, but he this wasn't just some simple threat. Lotus kidnapped his sister and murdered his father things were as real as they get and he couldn't help but feel uneasy about their lack of man power.

"And what exactly is S.A.I.A?" He asked.

Mr. Novak noticed the tension and decide now was as good a time as any to join the conversation, "S.A.I.A is the most reliable surveillance technology developed in North America by the owner of this very house, specializing in tracking and high sensitive surveillance devices that as Mr. Lennon stated can detected movement and incoming threats as small as a wild rodent more than 20 miles out". Mr. Novak finished with a small smile upon his lips and a slight shrugging of his shoulders reaching for his own cup of tea and sitting back to enjoy it.

Mr. Lennon looked at Mr. Novak through the corners of his eyes and then proceeded to shake his head at his partner's easy going attitude towards everything. Looking back to Mr. Darcy, "Well, now that you know our purpose Mr. Darcy I have a request to ask of you",

"And what is that?" Darcy answered staring at Mr. Lennon

"In an effort to keep track of your whereabouts we ask that you keep this pocket knife on your persons at all times. While the tracker is already hidden within the body of the case, by pulling out the knife you activate a sort of panic button that transmits back to us alerting us of your exact location". Mr. Lennon finished by sliding the knife across the coffee table located between them and placing it next to Mr. Darcy's cup of tea.

Darcy just stared at it, thinking about how bad of an idea it was to listening to Richard. When Mr. Lennon realized Darcy was not going to reply he added,

"Now that we have discussed the issue of your safety Mr. Novak and I have work to tend to. Please feel free to come to us with any concerns or questions. Our office is situated at the last door on the left before the dining room". With that Mr. Lennon and Mr. Novak stood and nodded towards Darcy and proceeded to exit the room.

Darcy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he finally released it he heard a small cough in the back of him and turned his head to see who it came from. There stood a young lady woman maybe 19 or 20 years old dresses in something that looked like a maid's uniform.

"Um, Mr. Darcy… your dinner will be ready in a half hour. If you will follow me I will show you to your room to freshen up if you wish sir?" she said with a light accent filled voice that was a bit shaky.

Darcy picked up the pocket knife, deposited in his pant pocket and followed the girl up the steps. While climbing the steps he was again distracted by the family pictures on the wall, but as they reached the landing halfway between the first and second floor Darcy's eyes caught sight of one particular photo that made him stop abruptly. He stared at it with furrow brows and a very confused expression playing across his face.

There were three people in the photo sitting on a bench situated in an area surrounded by grass and fallen leaves; one could only assume it to be a park of some sort. There was a dark brunette hair girl who looked to be a young teen around 16 or 17 situated in the middle of two other subjects with her eyes shut tightly and a very wide smile running from ear to ear. But the girl was not what made Darcy stop; it was the other two people in the photo that shocked him. Both the man and woman were facing the young teen and each one was placing a kiss on the girl's cheeks. Although their eyes were also closed there was nothing but absolute joy and happiness floating invisible around them. Darcy's eyes kept flashing between both people on the sides of the girl and he was absolutely certain of their identity, but was lost when it came to that of the young girl between them.

Just then the maid noticed he had stopped walking and turned to walk back down the steps to where he stood.

"Sir? Is something the matter?" The maid asked.

"Who is that girl in the middle of this photo?" Darcy asked a bit more coldly then he had intended.

"Why that is Mr. and Mrs. Gardiners daughter Miss Elizabeth Gardiner Sir" the maid stated as if assuming he should have known the people of whose home he was staying in.

"And do you know the other two people in the photograph?" Darcy knew very well who the other two people were, but was more curious as to why they were in a photograph with this Elizabeth Gardiner.

"Yes sir, to the left of Miss Gardiner is Mr. Charles Bingley and to the right of the her is Mrs. Jane Bingley…Are you alright sir you look ill?" The girl asked very worried that she might have done or said something to cause the Gardiners guest some sort of displeasure.

When the girl told him exactly what he already knew Darcy's faced drained of color, but he did not know why. He already knew that was Charles and Jane in the photo, but hearing it out loud somehow made things even more confusing than they were before. The mystery of who these Gardiners were and how Richard and now Charles and Jane knew them left Darcy more puzzled and in the dark. He turned to the maid,

"No I am fine but will you have my dinner brought to my room I am quite exhausted" Darcy continued up the stairs and the maid nodded showing him into his room and closing the door after he entered.

The room was very large; a four poster bed was placed in the center of the wall to the right of the door. A second door leading to the personal closet space and bathroom was just to the left of the bed and three full length windows ran down the wall opposite the bed room door. On the other side of the room was a personal desk with only an antique library lamp situated on top and a sofa and love seat were positioned in front of a flat screen mounted to the wall. Darcy noticed his bags placed on the settee at the foot of the bed and walked in and removed his suit jacket and tie unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt and finally sitting down next to his bags to remove his shoes. Before he had time to open his bag to remove his toiletries there was a knock on the door. Darcy got up and went over to answer the door.

There stood Mrs. Reye's holding a large tray of food,

"Sir your dinner" she said with a smile

Darcy stepped back and allowed her into the room where she placed the tray on the table in front of the sofa.

"Is there anything else I can get for you Mr. Darcy?"

"No, thank you."

"Well then please use the intercom on the wall if you do find yourself in need of any type of assistance. Good night sir" and with that Mrs. Reyes left the room.

Darcy finally realizing his situation dropped down with his back against the bed and took out his phone. There were no missed calls or messages so he dropped it down next to him and took out the necklace he had tucked in his pocket. Clutching it in his hand he closed his eyes and did something he hadn't done in a long time. He said a prayer for the safety and protection of his sister and the forgiveness of his failures to protect her. After what felt like hours Darcy went to the bathroom to shower and dress for bed. He ate his dinner and although the thoughts of his sister were racing through his mind, sleep eventually took over him.

(1)Photo of Gardiner Manor linked in my profile


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** So this is the very first fanfiction story I have ever written in my life, I would like to know what you all are thinking after reading the first three chapters. Without any insight at to what you readers are feeling about the story there really is no motivation to continue. So basically review if you want more if not I'll probably just return to the drawing board and start something new. Thanks to Kmart92 for giving me some feedback.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Getting Answers and A Leap of Faith**

Darcy woke with the screaming of his phone signaling it was 6:30am. Reaching to turn off the alarm, the events of the yesterday came rushing back. He closed his eyes and brought his hands to his head silently willing himself to stop being so damn weak and to get up and face the day head on. He wasn't going to find his sister sitting here throwing himself a pity party. He climbed out of the bed and threw on his running shoes and workout clothes and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Hoping to relieve some of his pent up frustration with a run he opened the door and descended down the stairs to the main floor.

As her usual routine Mrs. Reyes was up and scurrying about the kitchen when she heard footsteps coming from the staircase. Walking into the main hall she saw Mr. Darcy coming down earphones and ipod in hand.

"Good morning Mr. Darcy I trust you slept well?" She greeted the gentleman now standing in front of her.

"Yes thank you Mrs. Reyes" Darcy was a bit startled by her appearing out of nowhere, but did not display any sign of uneasiness.

"I do apologize for not giving you a tour of the house before you retired, but seeing as though you are dressed in active wear can I assume you are going for a run?"

"Ah yes, I… uh was planning on it" Darcy was a bit uncomfortable now.

"Well may I then interest you in allowing me to show you the family gym, the weather outside is in the lower 20s and I'd hate for you to freeze to death sir" Mrs. Reyes looked at him with eyebrows raised and a smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you, I suppose you are right"

With that the two headed down the hall to another set of steps that lead to a lower story when they arrived on the lower level floor Mrs. Reyes kindly pointed out each room as they passed. Indicating the family game room and theater, the music room and finally stopping at the end of the hall where the walls stopped from being solid and became glass to give a clear view of the gym and all its workout equipment it housed.

"Here you are sir, breakfast will be served when you are ready, and again please do not hesitate to use the intercom on the wall if you need anything".

"Thank you, Mrs. Reyes" Darcy then turned and walked towards the glass doors.

About an hour and nearly seven miles later Darcy stopped the treadmill and collected his water bottle and discarded towel and returned to his room. He showered and dressed then picked up his phone and called his assistant. Someone needed to take care of the mess at his London townhouse and he could only count on his own staff when it came to doing it in a timely and orderly fashion. Plus, there was no way he was going to be able to focus on any work at the office today so he was taking the day off. After settling everything with his assistant he went downstairs towards the kitchen. When he walked through the kitchen doors rather than seeing Mrs. Reyes he was literally shot back with surprise seeing Richard sitting at a bar stool on the other side of the kitchen island.

Richard got up from his seat and walked over to his cousin and without even thinking about it he pulled Darcy in for a hug, which Darcy reciprocated with just as much force finally being able to have someone to share in this horrible ordeal with.

"I'm so sorry Darce, We're going to get her back" Richard said once they finally broke out of the hug.

"God Rich, I'm just so lost… shit I don't even know where to start" Darcy finally was able to drop the mask and all the raw emotions of despair were written clear as day across his face.

"Well let's start with breakfast and then I guess I have some explaining to do" Richard said motioning Darcy over to the other stool across from him.

Darcy absentmindedly place some pancakes, eggs and bacon on a plate while Richard poured him a cup of coffee and sat back down.

"I'll just talk while you eat" Richard said and continued when Darcy looked up from his plate and gave him a nod of agreement. "Well for starters the house we're in right now belongs to a man and woman named Edward and Madeleine Gardiner. Mr. Gardiner is a cardiovascular surgeon who is very well known in the medical world and while his profession is quite admirable and accomplished it's his wife's job that really surprises people. Mrs. Gardiner is more so the reason you are sitting in this house right now."

Darcy was staring at Richard with raised eyebrows and confusion plaster across his face.

"And why is that?" Darcy said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well you see Darce, Mrs. Gardiner is the director of the United States Criminal Intelligence Agency" Richard looked at Darcy with a face of seriousness and Darcy's fork stopped mid air, mouth gaping and eyes painted in shock.

"What did you say?" Darcy had heard him very clearly, but as a second nature reaction needed Richard to repeat himself as a source of confirmation.

"Mrs. Gardiner is the director of the United States C.I.A" Richard said each word of this statement very slowly and clearly so there was no mistaking his seriousness.

Darcy was floored, "How in the hell do you know the Gardiners on such a personal level that has the both of us eating breakfast in their kitchen and using their home as some sort of safe house?"

"It gets messier, uh Eddie and Maddy don't really know why exactly you and I are here, assuming they were informed of our presence to begin with". Richard's voice started to fade off in the last part of his sentence.

"Wait, you're losing me now, are you saying the owners of this house were not told about me being here? Richard, I trusted you to handle this now you're telling me that I'm staying in someone's home without their permission?" Darcy was flaring up in anger fairly quickly and Richard knew if he didn't start explaining, things were going to get completely out of control.

"Darce just let me explain, this is going to sound sketchy but just hear me out. The Gardiners daughter Elizabeth was the one I called last night and she assured me that it was 100 percent ok that you came here. She took it upon herself to see that everything was in place for you arrival informing the house keeper and security to be ready for you to stay as long as you needed. Elizabeth is my best friend Darcy, I trust her completely that should be enough to speak for her character. She arranged all this without even pushing for an explanation as to why I needed somewhere safe for you to stay". Richard's speech was said using very theatrical hand gestures, but judging by the look on Darcy's face Richard could tell he had gotten his point across.

"That still doesn't make the situation any better, what are we going to do. Georgie is missing, Lotus is fucking lurking around every corner and finding clean detectives and politicians to fight them is impossible in this country considering the lengths Lotus goes through to make sure they have them wrapped around their fingers". Darcy started rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand, the prior day's headache pounding above is brow.

"You're not going to like what I'm going to suggest, but let me just throw it on the table and then you can tell me what better options you have alright?" Richard knew his cousin well and could already anticipate his reaction to the idea his was about to propose.

"I'm not going anywhere without Georgie, so if said idea has anything to do with me leaving the country forget it. She's here and so I'm staying" Darcy's whole attitude took a complete 180 degree shift and he was now glaring across the kitchen island at Richard.

"And what makes you so sure she is still in the country? You don't think Wickham would take the chance of someone spotting her or even gamble Georgia being able to get away somehow? Darce Wickham isn't the same stupid piece of shit we knew growing up. He's got connections now, and in this country they are far more persuasive and threatening than the Darcy and Fitzwilliam name put together". Richard was breathing heavily returning his cousins glare, hoping that he would see reason.

"I can't run Rich, she's all I got left. How am I suppose to get on a plane and put a whole oceans distance between us. I can't, I don't even know what I'm still doing in this house. I got to do something, get in contact with some people in town and see if they know anything", Will started to get up and leave when a hand firmly gripped his arm and stilled him.

"Darce we have exhausted all our connects here in London looking for people to come forward and shut Lotus down for years, no one is going to help us. Lotus has infiltrated every part of society and looking around for that one brave soul is only going to piss them off more. The last thing we want is for them to have a reason hurt Georgie anymore then they probably already have".

Darcy stood there silently; the last words of Richard's speech hung deep on his heart. The thoughts of Georgie being hurt was enough to hear Richard out.

"Fine I'll let you tell me your plan, but that doesn't mean I've accepted it" Darcy sat back down and Richard exhaled with relief.

"From what I've heard from Elizabeth, S.A.I.A alongside their booming success in manufacturing and running systems with state of the art surveillance and tracking technology, are also the founders of an agency call The Compound. The agency is a small black ops branch of the C.I.A that does what I assume is all the dirty work that the government doesn't want the public knowing about. Although I have never gotten Elizabeth to push the subject any further, I am sure that once we name drop Lotus's involvement Mrs. Gardiner's interest in our case might be enough to sway The Compound to take us on as clients. Now I know this is a long shot, but what other choice do we have. Our government's morals have shriveled to shit and quite frankly, that case with Mr. Denny was only able to find actual justice on American soil away from Lotus's dirty influence. Lotus's dealings in the U.S are getting sloppy and while it may seem like a case for the DEA, the FBI or the U.S Border Patrol, I think we have a chance at convincing The Compound to take us on with Georgie's kidnapping and the connections I have with the Gardiner family". Richard was done with his explanation and looked at Darcy expecting him to shoot it down instantly, but Darcy was silent.

"Say something Darcy, I need to know what you're thinking. Just know regardless of what you decide I'm not going anywhere without you" Richard gave his final plea hoping it was the last push Darcy needed to jump on board.

After two minutes of complete silence Darcy ran his hands through his hair and finally spoke up,

"So where're we going?" Darcy looked up to Richard awaiting his reply.

Richard just smiled and said, "California".


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Cue Elizabeth Gardiner  
**

Darcy and Richard arrived in San Francisco at 6:00 pm, seated in the back of a town and country Darcy thought now was as good a time as any to find out exactly why they were in California. Richard had played the game of evasiveness the entire flight, leaving him even more confused than before.

"So we're heading to Charles and Jane's home?" Darcy broke the silence planning on getting some answers.

"You asked that already. Look Darce, we don't know anything right know so we have to play it safe. Going back to one of your properties is too risky; you'll stay with the Bingleys and lay low".

"Ugh…" Darcy raked his hands through his hair and forced out a long breath of annoyance. "This is so damn frustration. All this just seems like shit out of some action movie. Georgie's kidnapping, the blackmail and threats… Richard! What the fuck is happening?" Darcy was shaking his head with confusion and exhaustion.

Richard was silent, he didn't know if there was anything he could say that would help.

"How do Charles and Jane know the Gardiners?" Darcy spoke bring Richard out of silence.

"I never said anything about them knowing the Gardiners" oh no Richard thought, this was a conversation his was hoping to defer to Jane.

"I saw a picture of Charlie and Jane sitting on a bench with the Gardiner's daughter and they looked like a pot of sunshine. Quit playing games Richard, answer the question" evasion was not going to work here, he was going to get an answer.

Richard didn't want to avoid the question; he just didn't know how to tell Darcy about the Bingley's relationship to Elizabeth without completely freaking him out. Darcy was already apprehensive about the whole plan to convince The Compound to take on their case, telling him about Elizabeth now would probably cause him to have a panic attack.

"I told you before Elizabeth and I are friends and she comes by firm all the time" That wasn't a lie, but it definitely wasn't the entire truth.

Before Darcy could tell Richard he was diluting the truth and giving him useless information, the car stopped at the guards station to the gated community where the Bingleys' resided. Richard rolled his window down and told the guard they were guests of the Bingleys'. Once the guard confirmed this the barrier was lifted and they proceeded into the neighborhood.

While Richard was a frequent visitor of the Bingleys' Darcy had only visited their home once, which was the week of their wedding about a little over year ago. Pulling up to the driveway Darcy was reminded of how the house fitted the Bingleys' perfectly.

The gated community was a must according to Jane. She wanted to make sure that when they were ready to expand their family their home was situated in a safe neighborhood. The house itself was nothing short of typical Charlie standards. Four car garage, half moon drive way loop, standard neutral color complemented by matching brick patchwork and a breathtaking view of the city behind the house(1).

Jane was in the kitchen checking on dinner when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it Mrs. Pots" Jane heard her husband's voice call out. She knew who was at the door and decided she'd give Charlie some time with his dear friends before she greeted them.

"Sweetheart, Darcy and Richard are here" Charlie called out to his wife. Jane pulled the veggie lasagna and roasted asparagus from the oven and walked into the hall.

"Richard, welcome" Jane's angelic voice greeted the more frequent visitor with a kiss on the cheek and then turned to greet Darcy with the same gesture. "Darcy, it's great to see you again".

"Great to see you too Jane, thank you for having me as a guest" Darcy said. Although he was quite use to Jane's company, he was still a little uncomfortable when it came to making small talk.

"Think nothing of if, you're always welcomed. Why don't you gentlemen sit down and relax you must be exhausted from traveling all day and I will get you some drinks". Jane guided them into the living room where the flat screen was turned to the NBA playoffs and walked over to the side bar where Mrs. Pots already had cocktails prepared. "Please excuse me while I check on dinner" she said leaving Charlie to catch up with his friends.

"Charlie, how have you been?" Richard asked thinking if he started conversation off slowly they would be able to stir clear of the elephant in the room.

Charlie noticed the look Richard gave him and silently agreed that it be best to keep things light.

"Oh same old, same old. Everything at the firm is running much smoother since the company's fourth ranked lawyer decided to take a week off" he said with a huge grin directed at Richard.

Richard gave a mocking look of offense, "I'm sorry, did the company poster boy grow a set with my absence. Psshh Both you and Darce here know very well I am the company's greatest asset."

"More like liability" Charlie chuckled.

"Fuck that, what's this business with fourth ranked?"

"Well of course there's Darcy, myself and then Jane and although I personally think Kevin has been doing an excellent job, I suppose by default you're guaranteed fourth with you being family and what not" Charlie answered eyes gleaming in mirth. Although he usually left the teasing to Richard and Elizabeth, the circumstances that brought them all together determined a bit of distraction was probably best for everyone.

"Woah there… last I checked I closed up that Harold case bringing in a huge win for the firm" Richard defended himself trying keep up this conversation as long as possible.

Throughout this exchange Darcy sat silently drinking his drink and looking about the room. Everything was pretty much the same as it was the last time he had visited with the addition of a few more art pieces and an arrangement of personal photos along the wall behind the piano. He couldn't make out any of the photos from where he was sitting, but was broken out of his study when Jane returned announcing dinner.

Once they were seated at the dining table Jane took up her duties as hostess and like Richard and Charlie decided to keep things far away from the elephant.

"So, which of you gentlemen will step up and take on the burden of explaining what type of foul would warrant one free throw and what would allow a player to gain two?" She asked with all innocence. Jane never took to sports, but noticed Charlie was glued to the television all day for the NBA playoffs, so she figured sports would be a safe subject.

Charlie smiled at his wife and answered, "well when a player…" was all he was able to get out before Richard interrupted.

"Don't listen to him Jane he doesn't know diddly squat please, allow me to do the honors" Richard said giving his most charming smile while slowly bowing his head and bringing his hand to his chest.

Charlie tried his hardest to glare at Richard, but it just came off adorable which cause Jane to fight back her laughter.

"Richard you're a moron. Not only am I well educated about the game, I can ball you up any day of the week and I probably won't even break a sweat" Charlie challenged and took a sip of his wine.

Richard took the bait, "Name the place and time pretty boy, matter of fact I propose we make it two on two".

Charlie was all smiles now, turning towards Darcy he said, "What do you say Darce, is it even worth the effort to school Richard and the unfortunate soul he chooses as a partner?"

Darcy who was busy moving around the food on his plate totally detached from the conversation broke out of his trance, "what was that Charles?"

"Do you want to join me in schooling this fool in a game of basketball?" Charlie repeated hoping Darcy would at least humor the idea and join the discussion.

"I rather not, although I am quite positive you can achieve beating Richard to a pulp on your own". Darcy added with a forced smile playing at the corners of his lips. He was in no mood to play a pickup game of basketball. His sister was missing and the rest of his life seemed to be losing any kind of meaning. He understood is friends were only trying to bring a little light to a horrible situation, but reality was kicking his ass right now.

"I think it's a great idea" Jane finally joined in, "we're all off on Saturday so we can go to the neighborhood club and make a day out of it" smiling at her husband and Richard, the latter looking at her as if she had just proposed the greatest plan ever.

"I'm down!" Richard agreed enthusiastically, "Charlie and Darcy verse me and my partner. Jane no offense but I'm gonna need you to play cheerleader on the sidelines, we all know Charlie has trouble staying focus with you around. And let's face it, I play dirty and you in a cheer leading outfit would surely screw with his head".

Darcy rolled his eyes; there was no way he was going to be able to get out of this now. Charlie perked up with interest; he was all for the game and chance at seeing Jane cheer him on.

"Richard the only way you're gonna beat us is if your partner's game puts him in league with talent like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant" Charlie replied.

"Oh trust me **she** is" Richard chuckled as he took in the change in expressions that were playing on the faces of the other three people in the room.

Charlie's face blanched, he knew exactly who Richard was thinking about having as a partner. Darcy confused as ever spoke.

"She?" he questioned with raised brows lost as to who this female partner could be considering Richard already sentenced Jane to cheer leading duty.

"Yup" Richard replied with emphasis popping the p at the end.

Jane and Charlie exchanged looks that Darcy couldn't decipher. Why was everyone suddenly becoming all cryptic? It obviously had something to do with the 'she' Richard was referring to, curiosity was overwhelming him.

"Would you all cut it out with the weird facial expressions and just spill it? Whose is 'she' and what's so astounding about her that has Richard looking smug with glee while Charles and Jane look as if they've seen a ghost?" Darcy said raising an eyebrow and looking from left to right at each person.

"Uh, why don't we have desert in front of the television, I'm sure you gentlemen would like to catch the last half of the game?" Jane quickly regained her senses and thought a change of scenery would help the situation. Charlie quickly stood and agreed with his wife's idea and nodded at Richard and Darcy to motion them towards the living room.

Why wasn't anyone answering him thought Darcy, completely agitated by how quickly his question was swept under the carpet. He settled himself down on the couch and ran his hand through his hair, any attempt he made towards finding out who the Gardiners' were was shot down and now there was a 'she' thrown into the mix. Can things be any more of a mystery around here?

They spent the rest of the evening watching the game in near silence aside from Jane's occasional questioning of rules and regulations. Richard left soon after the game ended and the Bingley's retired for the evening.

While making is way to his room Darcy heard Jane and Charlie's voices, apparently they had left the door to their room open. He wasn't really one to eavesdrop, but something about their conversation caught his interest.

"What time is your sister suppose to be getting in?" He heard Charlie ask

"You know her, it'll probably be sometime between 2 or 3 in the morning" Jane replied.

Huh? Sister? Darcy was confused; he didn't know Jane had a sister. Charles and Jane had dated for a year before they got married and not once had he heard of Jane having a sister. Why hadn't he heard of her before?

"How she manages that kind of lifestyle is something I will never understand" said Charlie.

"Honey, trust me, it's something no one will ever understand"Jane said her voice getting clearer signaling to Darcy she was moving closer to him. In an effort to avoid being caught eavesdropping he turn the corner and walk as silently as he could towards his room.

He didn't know what to think, Jane had a sister. He tried to replay all his conversations with Charlie regarding Jane and her family and nowhere was he able to find a memory of him saying she was an only child, but he also never heard him say she had a sister. What was even weirder about the situation is said sister was staying here with them. Who was she, some kind of free living moocher that used Charlie and Jane for money and a place to stay? He figured that was the reason he never heard about her, she was probably a huge embarrassment and disgrace. He was getting worked up over a girl he had never met, but now hated for taking advantage of two of the kindest people he has ever met in his life.

He tried to fall asleep, but he just could not stop the thoughts from flowing at light's speed in his head. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand it was 2:30 am, he rose and decided maybe some tea might help his uneasiness.

* * *

Elizabeth Gardiner parked her car across the street from the house as her usual routine whenever she got home at such an hour. She was exhausted and the only thing she wanted was to throw herself on the first soft thing she saw and sleep. Parking across the street from the house rather than leaving the car in the driveway loop or pulling up into the garage served two purposes. First she didn't want to set off the alarm signaling a presence in the driveway causing at least 5 huge flood lights to turn on and second opening the garage would be too much of hassle to deal with when it came time for her to leave in a few hours. She opened the front door to the house as quietly as she could and tip toed in. After checking the security monitors to make sure everything was as it should be she kicked off her heels and fell face first onto the living room couch where sleep instantly took over.

Darcy reached the bottom of the steps and started walking towards the kitchen when the sight of a pair of heels stopped him in his tracks causing him to do a double take. Those definitely were not there when he turned off the tv and decided to go to bed. He slowly made his way towards the living room where he was greeted by the sight of someone lying with their face down towards the cushions of the couch with their hands positioned under their head serving as a pillow. The figure was obviously female, Darcy could see the curves of her figure from the way her dressed hugged her body, but if that wasn't a tell tail sign she was female it was the long locks of curly hair the spilled down her backside and hung off the edge of the couch. Even though he could barely make out her figure in the dark, he guessed she was somewhere between 22 and 24 years of age. His made out the distinction of her rear end which due to the tightness of her dress had to admit, she had a nice ass. His eyes traveled down her body and saw where her dress ended.

"Shit!" he whispered to himself. The ending of clothing left very toned silk smooth legs exposed from mid thigh down. He stopped his observance of the strange woman asleep on the couch when the conversation he had overheard in the hall came back to him. This must be Jane's sister. Taking in the fact that she was knocked out on the couch, heels carelessly laying on the floor and clothed in a dress that would have any man pushing up on her he assumed she was probably coming in from a night of drinking and partying. Shaking his head in disgust at such reckless trashy behavior Darcy thought of someone he never in a million years would have imagined would ever cross his mind willingly, Caroline Bingley. Regardless of how annoying and absurd she was, at least she had the decency to walk herself to her bedroom after a night of careless partying rather than crash face first on the sofa. His original assumption of Jane's sister remained and this encounter just served to add more fuel to the fire. She was a party crazy moocher living off her sister without any morals; no wonder they never mentioned her.

Forgetting all about getting tea he shook his head in an effort to rid himself of what he just saw and walked back towards his room, he definitely was not going to get any sleep tonight.

**Links in profile:**

(1) Charlie's house

**A/N:** I am horrible at describing things which is pretty odd considering I am writing a story, but because of this flaw I post pictures of what I want to describe. If you are one of those people who like to leave things to your own imagination by all means continue as you were, but if you don't mind me putting an exact picture to words I put links up to illustrate my story. Just a warning though, there will be a lot more links when it comes time to throw on ball gowns and get fancy. Again thanks for reading, and to those who reviewed, followed and favored … this chapter was just for you. Sorry if there were spelling and grammar errors, I'm human.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Life of a Genius Revealed**

Elizabeth Bennet was adopted by Edward and Madeline Gardiner when she was only hours old.

Early on, Maddy and Edward noticed Elizabeth's exceptional intelligence and natural hunger for learning. After much discussion, she and her husband agreed to submit her to take the standard aptitude test administered by the C.I.A to test her intellectual abilities. Needless to say Elizabeth passed with flying colors. It was no surprise she graduated high school at 16 and was offered scholarships to some of the most prestigious universities. However, with her mother's insistence she decided on accepting MIT's offer. The C.I.A worked very closely with MIT, scouting out possible new recruits for the agency's tech department which is one of the reasons her mother pushed for her to accept the offer.

Testing out of having to take general education courses she entered her first year of MIT starting with upper level math and engineering classes. Two years later she graduated with a bachelors in engineering, submitting the tracking device that started S.A.I.A as her senior capstone project.

Maddy knew her daughter's device would be a major asset for the agency, but what she did not anticipate was her daughter's interest in the agency on a more hands on level.

Once the tracker was acquired by the C.I.A, Elizabeth's business skyrocketed and expanded into manufacturing and engineering more hi-tech surveillance equipment. After working so closely with the C.I.A to incorporate the new technology within the agency she was exposed to the different levels of training that were required of field agents and couldn't resist.

While Eddie and Maddy were completely against the idea of her becoming a C.I.A operative, they decided there was no problem letting her do tech work for Maddy's private sector, The Compound. That was until Elizabeth went behind their backs and convinced Charlotte Lucas, vice president of The Compound to send her out into the field on a mission called Ray. The case involved a Persian rebel group stealing the hard drives that held the personal information of the country's diplomats. Elizabeth was absolutely brilliant. With an agent already in the field undercover, his infiltration within the rebel group allowed Elizabeth to get the S.A.I.A tracker in place which led them straight to the bunker holding the hard drive. After hacking the bunkers surveillance system and tranquilizing about a dozen guards she rewrote the passwords to the vault and retrieved the stolen hard drives. It was the fastest and cleanest mission The Compound ever executed and Elizabeth easily became a force to be reckoned with. Elizabeth returned back to The Compound headquarters within four days expecting a warm welcome from the VP, but instead she was greeted by her parents who were furious. Both Gardiners could not believe it, what person in their right mind would allow a 19 year old into the field? To say Mrs. Lucas got chewed out would be an understatement; Director Gardiner placed her on suspension for a month and pulled the mission files to erase any evidence of Elizabeth's participation.

The Gardiners personally escorted their daughter back to their home in Massachusetts where she was grounded; her only allotted freedoms were official S.A.I.A business or making public appearances with her parents. Other than that she was pretty much under house arrest.

Elizabeth was a teenage genius, but only her closest and dearest friends knew her true identity as the founder of S.A.I.A. Thanks to her mother's position she was able to remain very low key about all her involvement within the agency. Eddie and Maddy wanted their daughter to be able to walk out the house without being swarmed by herds of media and they did this by installing Eddie Gardiner's brother Mathew Gardiner as the face and sit-in CEO of S.A.I.A. Elizabeth never had patience to handle paperwork and meet with clients, having this part of the business off her shoulders gave her more time to spend in the labs designing new bugs with some of her colleagues from MIT who after graduation jumped at the opportunity to work for S.A.I.A .

Three month after the Ray mission, Elizabeth's parents agreed that she had been punished enough and could return to San Francisco where the company tech labs were located if and only if she remained under the careful watch or her older sister Jane. Both Jane and Charlie agreed without hesitation, overjoyed at the prospect of having Elizabeth back again.

Once released from punishment she spent most of the day in the labs advancing S.A.I.A. bugs and devices. Although her early success came from her bugs, what really got S.A.I.A on the map was the development of a home security technology infused with remarkable detection abilities. There wasn't a household security system that didn't have a piece of S.A.I.A equipment incorporated in its design.

Elizabeth was use to working crazy hours at the office fixing up software errors and device malfunctions, which is why Jane and Charlie were the perfect sit-in guardians. They didn't hover, had she been back at home her mother would probably drive to the lab and personally remove her from the building when a normal 8 hour workday shift ended.

So here she was, a few months before her 20th birthday the founder of a multi-billion dollar company, dead asleep on her sister's couch. She really should have came straight home to Jane and Charlie's house after her flight landed that morning, but was far too anxious to get back into the lab after being away for a week in Massachusetts for her father's Induction into 4th River Memorial Hospital's Hall of Fame.

The sound of a recorded rooster filled the living room signaling it was 5:30am. Elizabeth's eyes shot open, quickly taking in her surroundings. In her head she said, _I'm on a couch, I'm in yesterdays dress and that rooster will not shut the hell up._ She processed all these things and then sat up and pulled her phone out of her purse to turn off the obnoxious rooster. Bringing both hands to her face she attempted to wake her senses up by running her hands around her eyes and cheeks, sweeping her wild bed hair behind her ears and standing to stretch. Time to start the day she thought. As per her usual routine, she would ready everything she needed for work, deposit it in the back of her jeep on her way out and then take a quick run around the neighborhood before driving into the office. Lucky for her, her parents were coddlers, which really came in handy when the labs were open in S.F. Even though Maddy hated that her daughter work unreasonable hours, she figured the least she could do is make sure Elizabeth had a decent place to get some rest whenever she decided sleep was necessary. So being the ever concerned mother she was, she had half of Elizabeth's office space converted into a small apartment.

Elizabeth stepped out of the house dressed in her running gear with her duffel bag in hand. Locking up the front door she turned her head to the right of the door where the intercom was attached and raising her hand to her brow she gave a quick salute to the camera and proceeded across the street to her jeep (1). Elizabeth loved her jeep; It was her baby. So much so she even named it Rico. Her parents had given it to her as a gift after graduating from high school. The all black exterior, rims and matching leather interior gave Rico an ora of badassness.

She threw her bag in the back of Rico then stretched out for her run. Glancing down at her Nixon she saw it was 6:00am and took off down the street. An hour and some 6 miles later, Elizabeth was finished with her run and doing cool down stretches at the back of her jeep.

* * *

Darcy was right; he didn't get a wink of sleep that night. He stopped his alarm before it went off then went into the bathroom to shower. After getting dressed for the day he picked up his phone and walked over to windows to open the curtains. Looking out he could see the morning gloom still lingering and the neighborhood still quiet. Movement across the street caught his eyes and he turned to focus in on a female figure in the back of a jeep bending over doing a stretch of some sort. The figure was now in an upright position, she dropped her hands to the seams of her shirt and in one swift movement raised it over her head and threw it in to the back of the jeep. Darcy's eyes instantly widened taking in her now more exposed body clad only in a sports bra and running spandex. He determined her undeniably the most toned woman he had ever seen. After watching the woman put on another shirt and some sweats, she hopped in the car and drove away. It took Darcy a few seconds to regain his senses, maybe staying with the Bingleys' wasn't such a bad idea if that was what he could wake up to every morning.

He shook his head, how could he be thinking about that with everything going on right now?

"Focus Darcy" He told himself. It was time to start taking steps towards finding Georgie. Putting himself in motion he opened the door and descended the stairs to the kitchen.

"Good Morning Darce" Charlie greeted him.

"Morning, thanks" Darcy replied taking the cup of coffee Jane offered him.

"No problem, did you sleep well?" Jane asked.

"Not at all" Darcy thought he just flat out go for it and said, "I came down stairs around 2 and there was a woman sprawled out on the couch".

Charlie looked at Jane as if telepathically pleading her to finally tell Darcy about her sister. Darcy noticed the exchange hoping to finally get some answers to all the strange behaviors and secrets.

Jane took a deep breath, "Well Darcy, um… It seems that you stumbled upon my sister last night". She finished by lifting her cup of coffee to cover her now red stained face.

Charlie's face matched that of his wife and he avoided Darcy's gaze. He knew he should have said something to come in and save his wife from this awkward situation, but it had to happen so he just focused on the plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Your sister? And did she just magically spring up out of nowhere since this is the first time I've heard about her" Darcy replied voice as calm as he could manage with the burning feeling of deception coursing through him.

"Yeah, she uh… just moved back in with us a month ago" Jane finished sending a begging look to Charlie to help her out.

"She would have been here when you arrived, but she had to go into work immediately following her flight" Charlie spoke trying to navigate the conversation towards an end. "and we should follow her example if we want to be on time" he got up and deposited his dishes in the sink, looking from his wife to Darcy expecting them to rise also.

"You're absolutely right sweetheart, hate to get caught in traffic" Jane agreed and walk to leave the kitchen.

"Well Darcy how about you take my Audi in the garage? Jane and I always drive in together and I hate for you to be stuck at the office all day waiting around for us".

"Charles I want some answers" Darcy answered coldly.

"Well I can't give them to you it's Jane's business to tell. I'm sorry Darce, but here are the keys now let's go" and with that Charlie left the kitchen and headed to the garage where Jane was waiting. After opening the door for his wife he walked round and climbed into the driver's seat. Seconds later Darcy entered the garage, threw his briefcase in the passenger seat and started the engine. Both cars pulled out and drove off towards DB Co. office.

* * *

Elizabeth walked into her office freshly showered and dressed in her usual work attire, cropped skinny jeans, some sneakers and an a loose fitting top (2). Sitting behind her desk she took out her planner and made a few notes over today's date.

_Reminders: _

- _Groceries: Soda, Chips and ice cream_

- _Convince mom NOT to throw me a birthday party_

- _Beat the shit out of Richard for sneaking into my office closet and replacing my jeans and sneakers with ugly ass dresses and heels._

- _Rico needs a wash_

Just as she finished writing the last note her assistant Chase walked in to give her the day's schedule.

"Good morning Eli, glad to have you back at the office" Chase greeted her in that peppy I'm an annoying S.O.B tone that was customary when it came to him.

"Chase you bitch, what the hell happened to all my clothes? I leave for a week and come back to a closet full of clothing suitable for a hooker" Elizabeth questioned staring so hard at Chase's face she could probably burn a hole through it.

"Oh calm down sweetie, Richard did you a favor getting rid of all those hideous things. Plus, you know I swoon nearly every time I see him. There was no way in hell I was going to deny him when he gave me the smolder. Damn that man is just so sexy" Chase finished by over dramatically shaking his body like shivers were running through him.

"Chase I had to wear a dress that showed my ass whenever I bent over yesterday when I got in from my flight and needed a shower"

"In that case you should be thanking him, maybe now you'll finally get a date. You're young, quit acting like you're playing shit safe, we all know you have never been on a date in your life so if we are done having this discussion can I get on with the day's agenda?" opening his notebook and taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Elizabeth's desk.

Rolling her eyes and bringing a hand to rub the back of her neck Elizabeth replied, "Fine, just have all my clothes put back".

"Alright, so today you will be meeting with the newest tech engineer that started while you were gone, your mother scheduled your fitting for 1:00 this afternoon and she gave you clearance to go to The Compound and fix a few bugs that aren't functioning properly". Chase finished looking very observantly for Elizabeth's reaction to the last part of his speech. He was not disappointed by her stunned response.

"WHAT! My mother has freely given me permission to go to The Compound without her present?" Elizabeth was floored, after the Ray mission she was banned from The Compound. It's been months since she last stepped foot there, she couldn't help but wonder what caused her mother's sudden change in attitude.

"Well you did design them, apparently none of the techs can figure out why they aren't working so after your dress fitting you're expected to head straight there. Your access cards have been reactivated and I'm sure you remember the protocol for getting in or do you need me to remind you?" Chase had a huge smirk knowing full well Elizabeth was freaking out with excitement inside

"Chase I'm sure there are hundreds of well qualified assistants out there just waiting for a job opportunity like yours, so quit with all the sassiness would you. I swear if you weren't my cousin I'd fire your ass".

"I'll take that as a, thank you for doing a great job Chase" he said while sending a horrible attempt at a glare her way. "Here's your phone, please try and give people a break today and just answer the damn thing. Don't you think it's kind of hypocritical that you design tracker bugs for a living, but you hate people knowing where you're at or what you're doing?" He question. Chase was a great assistant, but he had just as much of a fire mouth as his boss.

"I have things to do and answering phone calls and text messages does not fit into those things. But fine I'll try. Thank you that'll be all for now" She said giving Chase a fake smile.

Chase rolled his eyes, "Bitch, get your life. I dismiss myself thank you" and with that Chase rose and exited Elizabeth's office.

Regardless of how exhausting it was dealing with Chase and his diva-ness Elizabeth had to admit he was excellent at keeping her fast moving life in order. She smiled to herself and shook her head to reprocess everything that just happened.

Thinking to herself she realized two things; she was going to The Compound today and she had a dress fitting.

"Shit" she said aloud, "there's no way I'm gonna be able to convince mom not to throw me a birthday party now". Rubbing her temple with her palms she let out a huge breath and got up to get the day started. Grabbing her phone and planner she headed towards the elevator. After getting off on the labs floor she proceeded towards the receptionist desk.

"Hello Linda, can you please direct Mrs. Parker to lab 2 for our meeting?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course Miss Gardiner" The receptionist Linda responded.

"Thank you" Elizabeth left the desk and walked towards the lab, looking down at her phone that was now vibrating in her hand. After checking the caller I.D she pressed the green button.

"Hey sissy" she greeted Jane.

"Bugs, how are you? I watched you leave through the feed this morning" Jane replied, Elizabeth knew she was smiling on the other end.

"Yeah sorry about that, I just got in late last night and didn't want to wake you or Charlie" she replied while opening the door to the lab and settling herself behind the counter housing a few scattered pieces of tracker parts.

"Well I know you are probably busy, but I just want you to know you are expected at dinner tonight. We are going to the _Devon_ and our reservations are at 6:00 so please be ready by 5:00 so we can ride together". Jane said in an I'm not asking I'm telling kind of voice that meant Elizabeth was in no position to put up a fight.

"Not a problem sis, but no can do on the ride. I'm gonna be downtown already so I'll just meet you guys there".

"Why would you be downtown Bugs? Only thing I can think of that would have you downtown is the one thing you are suppose to stay far away from" Jane said her voice filled with scolding ammunition ready to be fired.

"Jane, have I not been an angel since moving back in with you and Charlie?"

"You've been great Bugs, I just promised your parents that I would take care of you. You're not suppose to step foot inside The Compound, you know the rules…"

In an effort from saving herself from one of Jane's sermons she interrupted her sisters ranting,

"Maddy gave the ok Jane. There are a few devices that aren't working properly and she said I can go" Elizabeth said in one breath hoping to calm the storm brewing inside Jane.

"What? Why would she do that?" Jane was puzzled

"Trust me sis I'm as lost as you are, but I have to go. I'm waiting on a new engineer to walk in for our meeting"

"Alright fine, but do not and I repeat do not do anything Elizabeth-like at The Compound."

"and what is that suppose to mean?" Elizabeth replied in a mockingly offended tone.

"It means go in there and do what you are _suppose_ to do and refrain from snooping around. Throw your curiosity in a bag and leave it in the car"

"Really Jane, I spent months trapped in my parent's home, there is no way I'm getting dragged back there. I promise to be on my best behavior ok, and I'll be on time for dinner".

"6:00 sharp and wear a dress with heels. I mean it. I'll talk to you later" Jane said feeling there really was no point in arguing with a stubborn too smart for her own good genius for a sister.

"Love you, bye" Elizabeth said hanging up after hearing her sister say the same.

A knock on the door got her attention.

"Come in" she said raising her head to greet the visitor. In walked a middle aged woman wearing a grey pant suit and heels. In her opinion the woman was way over dressed, but then again here she was in jeans and sneakers so she threw her judgment of the woman's appearance out the door.

"Hi you must be Mrs. Parker, I'm Elizabeth Gardiner" she said while getting up and stretching her hand out to the woman that just walked in.

"Hello Miss Gardiner it is a pleasure to finally meet you, please call me Maria".

"Well then Maria I must insist you call me Elizabeth, Miss Gardiner is far too formal, please sit down" Elizabeth gestured to the seat across from her.

Once Maria was seated Elizabeth decided to start off pretty much being straight forward, "You're probably wondering why a teenage girl dressed like she should be sitting in a classroom is in front of you right?" she questioned looking for a response.

"Um, actually no I'm not" Maria answered with a smile a admiration painted across her face.

"You're not?" Elizabeth raising her eyebrows in confusion.

"With all due respect Elizabeth, you're kind of thee model of computer genius among us engineering nerds".

"Ah, I see." Elizabeth finally understood the look glowing in Maria's eyes. "I didn't have a chance to glance at your file, but can I safely assume you're a MIT?"

"That would be correct. I think you are more familiar with my father Dr. James Parker"

"Wait, you're Dr. Parker's daughter?" Elizabeth was shocked, "Oh my, I see the resemblance now".

"Yes, my father would constantly brag about some 17 year old Einstein he had as a student and I had to see it for myself. I don't know if you can remember, but I sat in on one of his labs on embedded system architecture". Maria said beaming with excitement.

"No I remember perfectly a unknown woman sitting in the back of the room, but hell I didn't know it was Dr. Parker's daughter. Please forgive me." Elizabeth said blinking her eyes rapidly at this new found information.

"Oh no, there was no wrong done. I am just so excited to finally meet you, my father keeps asking me about how our first meeting went, but I haven't been able to tell him a thing since I hadn't met you yet"

"Well I'm sure the both of you will have a good laugh about it now" Elizabeth teased. "Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't we just dive right in and get you familiarized with the latest model of the S.A.I.A bug I've been working on".

"Sounds good to me" and the two of them talked and worked on the bug for a few hours until Elizabeth let Maria go for her lunch. Her phone gave off a quick beep signaling there was a reminder waiting for her. Looking at the screen she saw, _1:00 dress fitting. Your mother said to remind you if you miss it she will choose your gown for you._ Elizabeth knew the threat's weight in gold and decide to get a move on or else she'll be stuck wearing some atrocious Cinderella type dress to a birthday party she didn't even want.

After returning to her office she went into the room serving as her mini apartment and opened the closet. Richard had really done it this time. She didn't have enough time to go home and grab a dress for dinner so she had to choose one of the hooker dresses Richard put in her closet. She took out the four dresses and placed them on the bed for examination. The first was lacking in material, the second had the neckline dropped so low Jane will probably exploded with anger and the third was bright neon green that she was sure could be seen from space. Cursing out loud she turned to the forth and let out a breath of relief. Although it was a bit short, at least it was long sleeved and fairly modest when it came to showing cleavage. She picked up the dress, grabbed a pair of heels, her purse and practically ran out the door having only 30 minutes to get to the dress shop for her fitting.

The dress fitting was a complete bust, everything she tried on was hideous; too glittery, too itchy and the worst one was the one that was orange. There was no way in hell she was wearing orange, it nearly made her throw up thinking about how Caroline Bitchley would be smothered in something orange as usual.

She was now headed to the art gallery that served as a cover up for The Compound located on the basement levels below the building. Following the steps of protocol Elizabeth walked into the gallery and walked to the reception desk.

Clearing her throat she addressed the girl sitting behind the desk, "Hello, Elizabeth Gardiner here to see Mrs. Lucas".

"Miss Gardiner we have been expecting you please follow me" the girl greeted her and began to lead her through a long hall where she then opened the last door on the right and motioned her to walk in.

"If you will just wait here Mrs. Lucas will be right with you" she said closing the door and leaving Elizabeth standing in an office like room. The memories started flooding back, Elizabeth proceed with protocol walking towards the wall behind the large desk and pressed a hidden button on the side of the bookshelf that triggered the entire wall to shift forward revealing a secret room. In the room there was an elevator that upon scanning her clearance card opened and took her down two levels to The Compound.

Elizabeth could feel the excitement pulsing through her veins, it had been months since she was last here and the rush she once felt was hitting her full force. Stepping out of the elevator she took it all in; everything was just like she had remembered. Computers and desk positioned uniformly in an all white room with large screens mounted on the walls. People were buzzing around going about their business; completely focused on whatever it was they were working on. She knew she needed to report to VP Lucas first so she walked towards the room she remembered being the VP's office. On her way there she noticed people had stopped what they were doing and were now staring at her as if they were seconds away from picking up the phone and calling her mom to rat her out. She got to the door and knocked.

"Come in" the person on the other side said.

"Vice President Lucas, it's nice to see you again" Elizabeth said while walking to the middle of the room.

"Eli, I'm so glad you're crazy ass mother has finally let you out of your tower" Charlotte said closing the distance between them pulling Elizabeth in for a hug.

"Yeah, I had no idea I would be standing here today, but apparently she gave Chase orders to have me come and fix up a few glitches to the gear" Elizabeth replied taking the seat Charlotte offered her.

"Well just in case you're wondering I forgive you for getting us caught by your parents. I have to admit though you did one kick ass job on the Ray mission, I know you noticed the looks you were getting on your way in here; consider them your fan club" Charlotte finished with a shrug of her shoulders and a smile .

"Fan club?" Elizabeth asked

"Yeah and its only been growing since you left. Everyone couldn't believe how quickly you executed your mission and what was more amazing is that you actually stood up to the woman they all fear".

"Wait are you telling me they are afraid of my mother? She's an angel, why would they be afraid of her?" Elizabeth was puzzled her mother was a wonderful kind heart Director.

"Yeah to you her only daughter, but to the rest of us sweetie it is strictly business. You scared the shit out of your parents going on that mission and when she came back from escorting you to Massachusetts all hell broke loose back here. I swear all the agents were scared to breathe whenever she was in the room". Charlotte said while sliding a file across her desk towards Elizabeth.

"What's this?" Elizabeth said before opening it up

"The C.I.A has been working hard to crack an encrypted file for a case, but none of the guys up at C.I.A headquarters could get it and after running it through my men here we've still made little ground". Charlotte replied staring at Elizabeth giving her time to make the connection.

"Oh I see, so I'm here as the last resort?" Elizabeth caught on, a smug look painted all over her face.

"Yeah don't get all cocky about it kid, I was all for bringing you back the month after my suspension, but your mom was pretty adamant about keeping you out. The C.I.A believes this file holds the answers that lead to finding some very key players to a group of international criminals that have set up camp here in the U.S"

"What is the group called? What kind of criminal activity are they involved in?" Elizabeth asked without glancing up from the file she was now looking over.

"They go by the name of Lotus and they are a very powerful mob holding an enormous amount of weight in Europe. Apparently they are known for pushing narcotics and are looking to expand that influence. They've already begun making moves to spread in our country. We have agents positioned in the SIS of the United Kingdom who have been able to get us some information on the group, hence the acquisition of the contents of the file in your hands". Charlotte finished searching Elizabeth's face to see any hint of discomfort.

"Well shit, I thought I was coming to fix a few glitches not help decrypt a file that could save a fucking country" Elizabeth replied voice filled with shock and confusion.

"Um, that's two fucking countries if we are trying to be accurate here, but please carry on" Charlotte replied trying to lessen some of the tension she could see rising in Elizabeth's eyes.

"Yeah sure, let's crack jokes about this Char. How the hell am I suppose to react to this. I don't understand how my mother went from threatening my life if I ever step foot in this place to suddenly requesting I come fix some bugs which turned out to be a cover up so I can decrypt some super important top secret files" Elizabeth was up and pacing the room now hands flaring in the air.

"Eli this is what you've been waiting for, what's the problem?" Charlotte said trying to get Elizabeth to calm down.

Elizabeth stopped pacing and brought her hand to cover her mouth and just stood there thinking for a few seconds.

"Char you're right, you are absolutely right. If I can crack this file maybe my parents will let me join the agency full time and I can finally become an active field agent" Elizabeth spoke like she just had the greatest epiphany.

"Ok that's great, yeah… I mean whatever floats your boat kid. Just you know, take it slow. I'm sure this wasn't an easy decision for your parents to make. So let's just take it one step at a time." Charlotte answered making sure Elizabeth understood that what happened last time was not going to happen here. "You're just working on the file and that's it, nothing more until the Director says otherwise, is that clear?"

Elizabeth smiled and raised her hand in a salute, "Crystal, VP Lucas".

After the conversation in office Elizabeth and Charlotte walked back into the hall and were greeted by everyone who were once sitting engrossed in their work now standing looking at the two of them as if waiting for some sort of announcement.

Charlotte spoke, "Evening everyone, I'm sure there is no need for me to introduce the woman standing to my left, but for those of you who have been living under a rock, this is Elizabeth Gardiner daughter of Director Gardiner. Now she will be visiting this office frequently and I ask that you all assist her with anything she may need. That will be all, please continue as you were".

Charlotte turned and Elizabeth followed her to the Directors office.

"Here you are Eli, by your mother's request you will be conducting all your work inside this office. You have the entire tech team at your disposal and of course you may come to me with any concerns you may have. There is the directory beside the phone that has all the extensions you will need, as much as I would love to stay and catch up with you, you do have very important work to get to dear friend."

"Yeah I guess you're right, thanks for every Char" Elizabeth said turning to give Charlotte a hug.

"No problem kiddo, there's no pressure and I'd wish you good luck but I'm sure you won't need it" Charlotte said before closing the door and leaving Elizabeth sitting in her mother's chair still shocked at what just happened.

After taking at least 20 deep breaths she figured she try and understand the parameters of the file before deciding on a course of action. After an hour of clicking through the different files and archives she glanced at the clock and saw it was already time for her to get dressed for dinner. Closing everything up and saving her work she locked her laptop inside her briefcase and picked up her garment bag. Walking into her mother's personal bathroom, she took a quick shower making sure to drench her hair in conditioner so that it would be smooth and tangle free. Once she was dressed she filled her palms with mousse and ran them through her hair so her curls would have a silky smooth shine that would allow her to leave them spilling down her back without worrying about them frizzing up. Taking one final look in the mirror she knew she looked good, her only drawback was that she wished the dress was just a little bit longer. There was no time to fix any of that now so she grabbed her coat and briefcase and headed out the same way she came in.

* * *

**Links in profile:**

(1) Eli's Jeep

(2) Eli's work attire

**A/N **So this was a really long chapter that I'm going to call a **maintenance chapter** because I needed to build the story behind Elizabeth and clear up a few things. I know this story is completely out there, but like I said before this is the first story I have ever written in my life that was not some sort of high school requirement so please bare with me and just let it flow. I write each chapter on a whim which is why it takes me a while to make sure it all flows with the plot so if you have any suggestions, nothing in this story is set in stone so feel free to let me know. Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Dinner with Bugs**

Darcy and Richard walked into _Devon_ dressed in their usual dinner attire; tailored designer suits and freshly groomed faces. Darcy wasn't in the mood to be dining out, but Charles insisted on it saying it was nice to get out of the house. They spotted the Bingleys sitting at a table near the back of the restaurant and made their way towards them. As they got closer, they noticed a woman seated on the other side of Charlie and it only took a second for them to realize who it was without even seeing her face.

"Ah there you two are, why don't the both of you take the seats on the other side of the table" Charlie said.

After exchanging greetings with Jane and Charlie the two of them turned to the third person seated at the table. Before either of them had a chance to speak said person greeted them.

"Oh Will I had no idea you were going to be joining us tonight" Caroline screamed. She was of course fully expecting Darcy to be there, she practically begged Charlie to let her join them this evening. Totally ignoring Richard's presence she yanked Darcy's arm down to sit next to her.

"I'm sure that's a lie" Richard snorted under his breath then turned to Caroline "Hello Caroline" he said coldly.

"Richard" she said not even looking up from her current focus which was Darcy.

Darcy was pissed, had he known Caroline was going to be here he sure as hell was not. Last thing he wanted was Caroline's disgusting paws and attention on him. He put his mask in place knowing that was the only way he was going to make it through the evening and still have Charlie as a friend at the end of it.

The waiter came and took their drink orders and Charlie and Richard started conversing about what type of car Richard should buy next. Caroline disgusted with their choice of topic decided to flirt with Darcy.

"So Will what brings you to town?" Caroline Asked scooting closer to Darcy.

Darcy, stiffened and this got Charlie's attention.

"Business Caroline, I told you that already" Charlie answered irritated that his sister didn't listen to him when he told her not to hover over Darcy if he let her come. Next to him Jane was checking her watch, too distract by her sister's tardiness to tend to the conversation. Their drinks arrived and still no Elizabeth, Jane was beginning to worry. Once the waiter set down their drinks he proceeded to take their orders. After letting everyone order first Jane finally ordered two of her choice and handed her menu back to the waiter. Richard's curiosity and lack of decorum around friends got the best of him.

"Why, aren't we hungry... Could someone be secretly eating for two?" Richard asked with eyebrows raised a huge grin covering his face.

Jane who was use to Richard's teasing just glared at him, but before she could say anything she caught movement out the corner of her eye and turned to see Elizabeth walking towards the table. Jane stood and walked over to her sister.

"Bugs, I was beginning to worry" she said pulling her sister in for a hug.

"I'm sorry, it's just something big came up and I lost track of time" Elizabeth answered pulling back to look at her sister's concerned face.

Everyone at the table except Caroline rose also, Charlie being the next to greet her.

"Hey Bugs glad you can make it" he said with his always present charming Charlie grinned.

"Sorry for being late" she sent him her puppy dog eyes pleading for forgiveness.

Richard walked around the table to hug Elizabeth next, but before he was able to pull her in for a hug she reached in the back of his neck and very precisely smacked him.

"Shit Bugs what the hell was that for?" Richard said rubbing the back of his neck.

"That was for sneaking into my office and stealing my clothes dumbass" Elizabeth said trying to keep herself from falling to the floor in laughter.

"Bugs, language" Jane scolded between her own giggling.

"You should thank me; you look smoking hot right now." Richard replied feeling more confident and attempting another hug which Elizabeth willingly gave into.

Darcy's jaw dropped as he watched the entire exchange. The woman standing before him was drop dead gorgeous; long brunet curls spilling down her back, a black tight form fitting dress hugged her body; showing off her curves amazingly(1). She had legs that could kill and the heels she was wearing only complemented them more. What really made Darcy's mouth water were her piercing hazel eyes that sparkled with spots of green, stirring an emotion of being in the forest. A forest Darcy wouldn't mind getting lost in. Snapping back to reality he heard Caroline's voice and positioned his mask back in place.

"Why Eliza, nice of you to finally show up" Caroline said while rolling her eyes, her voice seething is bitchiness.

Elizabeth, sitting down in the chair Richard pulled out for her she replied, "Hello Caroline, I see you managed to wear something even more skanky than the last dress I saw you in" Elizabeth countered, never being one to put up with Caroline's assaults. Caroline was clad in her always color of choice orange in some sort of high fashion ensemble that left nothing to the imagination (2). Richard choked on his drink and Jane kicked her under the table, while Charlie picked up his napkin to hide his uncontrollable chuckles. Darcy was amazed by Elizabeth's boldness it was intriguing, but he remained the ever stoic statue he has always been with the mask on. While Caroline fumed in anger, Jane decided to extinguish the situation.

"Elizabeth, this is Charlie's friend Mr. Darcy I told you was visiting, who also happens to be Richard's cousin" Jane said.

Elizabeth looked up at the man sitting across the table from her, she noticed him sitting there when she walked in, but now she really looked at him. He was quite handsome; she could see the resemblance between Richard and the man and had to admit this Darcy guy was the handsomer of the two. He was a very tall man at least 6 foot 3 and the tailored suit hugged his arms well enough for her to assume he was probably hiding a six pack somewhere under there. Regardless of how good looking the man was, the expression painted across his face burned with arrogance which was a major turn off for her. She stopped her examination of the man in front of her and greeted him with all the civility and kindness her parents instilled in her.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Darcy, I am Elizabeth Gardiner" She looked him in the eyes and gave him her most enchanting smile.

Darcy just stared at her, taken back by how captivating her eyes were and they seemed to glow even more so when paired with the bewitching smile she was shooting his way. He fought the urge to stare at her soft lushes lips and somehow finding his voice he spoke.

"The pleasure is all mine Miss. Gardiner" he replied voice without a hint of emotion.

Elizabeth was shocked at his cold greeting, but decided maybe he was just not a people person, either that or he really was an arrogant asshole. She put judgment of his character off to the side for further review throughout dinner. Elizabeth noticed Caroline glaring at her and bent over to Richard.

"What's up with Miss Bitchley over there?" She whispered

"She's in love with Darcy and due to your earlier comment plus that fact that my cousin can't take his eyes off of you, I think it's safe to say you have just risen to the number one spot on her shit list" Richard answered shaking in laughter.

Elizabeth covered her hand over her mouth to hide how hard she was smirking, deciding to leave Caroline alone for now she turned to her sister.

"Sorry again for being late, you look absolutely stunning Jane" A compliment that Elizabeth knew her sister didn't need. She was hands down the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Dressed in a beautiful light pink dress that hugged her hips and loosened up at the top (3), Jane was the definition of elegance when it came to carrying herself. This made Elizabeth feel a little more self conscious considering the length of the dress she was wearing.

"Bugs thank you, I'm glad to see you finally decided to show off that gorgeous figure of yours instead of hiding it behind those jeans and oversized t shirts" Jane teased and Darcy couldn't help but agree more once again finding it hard to rip his eyes from her.

"Oh don't look at me, Richard decided it would be funny to take out all my clothes at work and replace them with some of the most revealing dresses I've ever seen. Thus, subjecting me to wear a dress like this after my flight yesterday and since I didn't have time to go home and grab one for dinner, here I am in another one of his choices" Elizabeth confessed sending Richard a glare that just made him laugh harder.

"You're welcome, and if you're wondering, no you are not getting back anything I took from your closet" Richard replied smug look of satisfaction fixed on his face. Darcy couldn't help but feel jealous of how easily Richard was speaking and interacting with Elizabeth.

Dinner arrived and the waiters placed their food in front of them.

"I hope you don't mind Bugs, I ordered for you since you were late" Jane said tuning her head to the right and smiling at Elizabeth.

"Not at all, thanks" she said with a questionable smile. Elizabeth dealt with the fact that both her sister and brother in law were vegetarians, the food Jane made was actually very good. However, after not having a good dinner yesterday and the long day at work she had today she really wanted something meaty. Looking at her plate she was relieved to see that Jane ordered a hearty vegetarian dish; cheese stuffed shells drenched in marinara sauce.

While Charlie and Jane were deep In conversation about something, Elizabeth felt the other occupants of the table were a little too quiet for her liking. She decided to pick back up trying to make out Mr. Darcy's character.

"Mr. Darcy, Jane tells me you own a home in Derbyshire, Pemberley I believe she called it?" Jane had mentioned not to ask about what brought him to S.F so she tried to find out about where he came from.

"Yes I do" was all Darcy said, immediately assuming Elizabeth to be one of those crazy status craving fortune hunting women like the one sitting to his left.

"Well it seems we are somewhat neighbors, I own a house in Weinstein some 25 minutes from Derbyshire" Elizabeth said all smiles trying to ignore the harshness in his voice when he answered her.

Darcy had completely forgotten that he stayed at the Gardiner house in Weinstein just after finding out the heart breaking news about his sister. He was so distracted by her breathtaking beauty he had not processed her identity. This was the Elizabeth Gardiner he saw in the photographs back in Weinstein. He scolded himself for thinking so poorly of the attractive woman across from him. He wanted to say something, anything to have a conversation with her, but the words just wouldn't form. He should probably thank her for her family's hospitality, Why was it so hard for him to talk to her?

Richard was staring at his cousin hoping he would take the hint and be a little more warming towards Elizabeth; instead of the social idiot he usually was. Darcy caught the look, all he had to do was open his mouth and speak, but something about the way she was staring at him was unraveling his insides and he couldn't get a hold of himself.

"It is the most beautiful place in the world, absolutely stunning you have to go for a visit. There is no place to match it on Earth" Caroline said, inviting herself into the conversation.

After cocking a very questioning eye at Caroline, Elizabeth decided she push for a little more conversation with Darcy.

"How long has your family owned Pemberley Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth questioned.

"For over 20 generations Miss Gardiner" Darcy replied, palms becoming sweaty and breathing a little hitched from his hearts excitement that Elizabeth was still talking to him regardless of the social moron he was acting like.

"Wow, that's amazing. My parents and I just moved into the house in Weinstein four years ago. Twenty generations? I have to admit I'm a bit jealous, it must be an extraordinary feeling to have such history and antiquity as a twenty generation ancestral home still living on" Elizabeth said eyes glowing in pure admiration.

Darcy felt his heart smile, something he never felt before. This Elizabeth Gardiner was a genuine beauty both inside and out and she was smiling and talking to him, while he could barely get four words out without them making him seem like a total jerk.

"Oh Bugs, you'll love it. The landscape and scenery surrounding the estate is exactly the kind of thing you never seem shut up about." Richard added trying to put Darcy at ease enough to be more civil. It didn't work.

"I completely agree Rich, but I think it's the library that will really sweep you off your feet Bugs" Charlie added before returning back to his conversation with Jane.

"Oh absolutely, the Darcy name is one of the most respected and well know in all of Europe. One can only expect the best when it comes to their home" Caroline answered, scooting closer to Darcy and placing her arm behind his chair. Darcy stiffened with irritation at Caroline's uninvited attempts at flirtation. He grabbed Caroline's hand gently and placed it back on the table in front of her.

"I am very proud of my home" was all he said cursing himself for not being able to converse like a normal person.

Elizabeth and Richard watched this play out and turned to each other both with lips pressed together trying to force the burning feeling to ball out laughing back down their throats.

While Charlie and Jane were still caught up in their own little world, Richard remembered the dinner conversation from the night before.

"Bugs, what are you doing on Saturday?" He asked Elizabeth.

"I'm not sure, but Jane told me to keep it free, apparently she has a whole day planned" Elizabeth answered. She looked up towards Caroline and Darcy and noticed the latter was staring at her, hard. That's creepy she thought to herself.

"Great, well Charlie has challenged me to a basketball game, but I like to make things interesting and proposed we make it two on two. So how about it best friend?" he asked, giving her the biggest grin humanly possible.

"You do know that Charlie is actually very good at basketball right? And I suppose Mr. Darcy is going to be his partner?" she questioned unconsciously looking up at Darcy who was still giving her some sort of death stare. "Dude Rich, why is you cousin glaring at me, is there something on my face?"

"Chill Bugs, you just asked me three questions so let me answer them in order. First, I don't give a shit how good Charlie is, I will crush him. Second yes Darcy is his partner and third Bugs, he isn't glaring he's admiring. Stop being so oblivious to a man's attention on you, you're hot as hell and every man aside from Charlie probably loosened their ties the moment you walked in the room. I know I did".

"Fine I'll be your team mate, but you're wrong about your cousin. That is nowhere near a stare of admiration, that stare has I'm an arrogant prick tattooed all over his face. I tried to make friendly conversation with him and he just kept brushing me off like I was too beneath him to waste breath on. I swear Richard, he is glaring" Elizabeth rolled her eyes and took a bite of her food.

"Yes!" Richard hissed, "I can't wait to stun them by pulling you out as my secret weapon".

Dinner progressed and everyone was done with desert, while the gentlemen fought over the bill Elizabeth excused herself to the restroom, but took a detour to the counter near the back of the room and paid the bill. It was really the only way they were going to get out of the restaurant and expedite her making contact with her bed. She returned to the table five minutes later and they were still in the exact setting she had left them in.

Grabbing her bag she said, "Well everyone it has been a lovely evening, but I really should be getting home. Sorry to intercept you gentlemen's efforts at chivalry, but I've already taken care of the bill. It was nice to meet you Mr. Darcy. Caroline". She turned and gave Richard a quick hug goodbye, then after giving her usual salute to Jane and Charlie she walked out the restaurant towards the valet leaving the rest of the dinner party aside from Caroline frozen with stunned expressions fixed on their faces. Her jeep had already been pulled to the curb, so she tipped the man, climbed into Rico and drove home before any of the five people she left behind even exited the restaurant. After parking her jeep in the garage Elizabeth walked into her bedroom. She dressed for bed and let sleep take over.

* * *

Darcy rode with Richard to the restaurant and was now seated in the passenger seat headed towards the Bingley's home. When Elizabeth turned to walk out of the restaurant his eyes followed her out the door taking in the backside of her body that was just as enticingly pleasing as the front. Never in his life had he encountered a woman so bold; she was absolutely fearless. Richard broke the silence of the drive.

"Darcy what the hell? That was Elizabeth Gardiner, the daughter of the person we need convince to help us find Georgie. You didn't even try to be friendly." Richard said, taking his eyes off the road to shoot a glare at his cousin.

"I don't do friendly conversations with strangers Richard" Darcy spoke coldly hoping his cousin wouldn't push it any further, he was wrong.

"No, that was not Darcy the social idiot, that was more, I'm sitting in front of a gorgeous girl and I can't think properly to save my life kind of Darcy" Richard finished grinning at the discomfort he felt was emanating from Darcy's body.

"Richard she didn't look a day over 22 and it was rude of her to not only walk into dinner late, but sneak off to pay the bill and then leave without the common courtesy of waiting for everyone to walk out together". Darcy said trying to throw his cousin off. Of course Darcy knew he was absolutely taken by the woman, but there was no way he was going admit this to Richard.

"Bull shit! There isn't a straight man on Earth that doesn't think Bugs is attractive, there're probably gay men willing to change sides to get with her don't give me that evasive I'm not interested crap because I'm not buying it" Richard rolled his eyes then continued when he knew Darcy wasn't going to reply. "You know she thinks you hate her from the way you were glaring at her all night. Real smooth Darcy".

Darcy was silently kicking himself in the head; the first woman he ever met that he couldn't keep his eyes off thinks he's a jackass, that's just great. He still needed to keep up the indifferent façade.

"Why do you, Charles and Jane call Miss Gardiner Bugs?" he asked, it was a question that he wanted to ask in the restaurant, but didn't think he should.

"I thought it was obvious, we call her Bugs because she works for S.A.I.A as one of their tracker bug engineers" Richard replied keeping the fact that Elizabeth was actually thee creator of S.A.I.A concealed from his cousin.

"Wow brains and beauty" Darcy replied without even thinking.

"I knew it, you are crushing on her" Richard squealed.

"This is not high school Richard; no one is crushing on anyone. I just think she's attractive and smart, don't go planning a wedding now" Darcy said trying to defend himself, but he ended up making it worse.

"Wedding? Oh man you got it bad" Richard could not control his laughter now.

Darcy rolled his eyes and ran his hands through his hair; Richard was not going to let him hear the end of it now. They pulled up in the Bingley's driveway. Darcy got out the car, walked in the house and proceeded to set the alarm to the house like Charles had showed him the night before. After getting himself ready for bed his mind was flooding with images of the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. Shaking himself back to reality he began feeling guilty about having those kinds of thoughts knowing Georgie is still missing. He shut his eyes exhausted from the previous night's lack of sleep and drifted off.

* * *

**Links In Profile:**

(1) Elizabeth's Dress

(2) Caroline's Dress

(3) Jane's Dress


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Jane the Protector**

Jane and Charlie were in the kitchen waiting for Darcy to come down so they could leave for work.

"Dinner last night went alright don't you think sweetheart?" Charlie asked sitting down on one of the stools behind the island.

"Aside from Bugs being her usual bag of surprises I'd have to agree." Jane replied while fixing a cup of coffee for Darcy, whenever he decided to show up.

"I think Bugs is absolutely amazing. The only problem now is we have doubled the trouble with her and Richard reunited" Charlie chuckled.

Darcy walked into the kitchen ready to head to the office.

"Thanks" he said to Jane who handed him a cup of coffee and plate of toast and eggs.

"No problem, you look rested" Jane said taking in Darcy's appearance, he did look a little better than yesterday.

"Yes, than…" Darcy was mid-sentence when he was interrupted by someone screaming from the hall behind him.

"I'M LATE, I'M LATE" came a female voice running down the stairs.

Everyone in the kitchen turned to see what all the ruckus was. Seconds later Elizabeth came rushing into the kitchen flustered and panting.

"I forgot to charge my phone and my alarm didn't go off, shit" Elizabeth yelled opening the fridge to grab some yogurt and orange juice to take on the go.

"Bugs, language" Charlie scolded while handing her a spoon to pack.

Darcy was confused, why the hell was Elizabeth Gardiner; the woman who has stocked his every thought since dinner last night here and running around the kitchen like it was no big deal.

"Just take a breath and calm down Bugs, you're not late; there is still a good 45 minutes before you need to be in your office" Jane said grabbing Elizabeth's shoulders and trying to knock some sense into her. Elizabeth looked into Jane's eyes and realized that she was right; so she over slept and missed her daily run, she could still make it to the office on time.

While the sisters were having a moment Darcy cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Oh…um" Elizabeth stuttered while looking at Darcy and then back at her sister trying to decipher how to approach this situation. "Good morning Mr. Darcy" she said attempting to put a smile that wasn't completely awkward on her face.

"Miss Gardiner" Darcy replied coldly, eyebrows raised and eyes staring straight at Elizabeth. He wished he could get past all the formalities with her and just call her Elizabeth, but since she had not given permission he was stuck addressing her formally.

"Judging by the look you're giving me, neither Jane nor Charlie has told you about me?" Elizabeth said turning her head to glare at the two in question, but both were acting as if they were oblivious to the whole scene playing out in the kitchen.

Darcy said nothing; he just stared at Elizabeth taking in her appearance. Her hair was up in a loose bun and she was dressed in a loose fitting light denim button up top, black jeans rolled up at the ankles and sneakers. Her disorganized appearance was adorable. Why was she here and dressed like that if she was going to work?

Elizabeth, seeing Darcy's inspection of her appearance glared at him. She hated that he was silently judging her and decided to handle the situation.

"Jane and I are sisters" Elizabeth said turning to pick up her backpack and zip it close. "Now since I let the cat out of the bag, why don't I leave it to the two of you to catch it" She directed at Jane and Charlie, giving them both a kiss on the cheek then turning to nod her head at Darcy and walking out to Rico.

Jane looked as if her eyes were going to pop right out of their sockets. Charlie on the other hand just shrugged his shoulders knowing it was bound to happen sooner or later, he didn't understand why Jane didn't introduce Elizabeth as her sister at dinner last night. Darcy however, was baffled. Elizabeth Gardiner and Jane were sisters, how could that be? Jane's maiden name was Bennet, He met Jane's mother and father at the wedding and neither of them mentioned anything about Jane having a sister. Flashing back to the wedding he tried to remember every face he encountered, Elizabeth Gardiner was not one of them. Charlie's voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Uh, maybe we should head to the office and discuss this there. We are going to be stuck in traffic if we get into this now" He suggested trying to break the tension in the room.

Jane said nothing; she just smiled, grabbed her bag and walked to the garage. Darcy stood and made his way to the sink, deposited his dishes and placed his hands on the edge of the counter. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, if there was one thing he hated it was lies. Millions of questions were racing through his head; standing between them and their answers was a 30 minute drive to the DB building. Shaking his head in an effort to clear his mind, he grabbed his laptop bag and followed the Bingleys to work.

* * *

Darcy walked into the corner office that was now his since he had his work transferred from the office in London. After sitting down behind the desk he picked up the phone and buzzed his assistant.

"Yes Mr. Darcy"

"Alice, would you set up a lunch meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Bingley and Mr. Fitzwilliam for this afternoon please" Darcy spoke into the receiver.

"Sir, Mrs. Bingley has already taken care of it, you'll be having lunch in the conference room down the hall at noon" Alice replied.

"Thank you, please bring in the files for the Walter case"

"Of course sir" Alice replied, putting the pone on the hook when she heard her boss disconnect.

Darcy tried to focus on the case in front of him, but the scene that played out in the kitchen was taking over his every thought. Why would Charlie and Richard keep this from him? So Jane had a sister, why keep it a secret? Realizing that sitting here thinking about it wasn't going to get him answers he mustard all control over his thoughts and pushed the issue of Jane's long lost sister aside.

When Alice buzzed in to remind Darcy of his lunch appointment Darcy was engrossed in the files in front of him. Grabbing his phone, he walked out towards the conference room. When he walked in he saw Jane and Charlie sitting next to each other on one side of the long conference table with lunch scattered in front of them and sitting across from the two was Richard who with a nod of his head gestured Darcy to the seat next to him.

After closing the door and taking the offered seat, Darcy's eye wondered between Charlie and Jane waiting for someone to speak. After a few awkward seconds of silence Jane took a deep breath and finally broke it.

"As you now know Elizabeth Gardiner is my sister" she spoke calmly looking across the table at Darcy. Taking a second to find her words she continued, "Well it's quite complicated you see, um… we're…um… I… uh I don't even know how to say this?" Jane said her heart beating so quickly that she turned her head to her husband silently pleading for comfort. Charlie took her hand and nodded his head for her to continue.

Richard felt sorry that Jane had to go through this, but what could he do? Darcy was a man on a mission and there was no way he was going to back off. Richard was just there because being Elizabeth's best friend Charlie and Jane asked him for moral support and to possibly pacify the situation if Darcy over reacted and freaked out.

"Go on sweetheart" Charlie whispered to Jane, while tracing circles on the back of her hand to try soothing the shaking fit they were having. Taking another deep breath Jane continued.

"My mother and father never married for love. They weren't affectionate towards each other or at least I never witnessed it, but they were civil and played their married roles well for public appearances. You met that at our wedding right?" Jane asked looking at Darcy for an answer.

"I did" was all Darcy muttered, eyes still pinned on Jane.

"And what did you think of them?"

"I thought your father detached and uninterested in the whole thing, while your mother was overly enthusiastic about it. But I just assumed that was caused by her _only_ child getting married" Darcy replied his blues turning a shade darker.

"Darcy, can you quit glaring at my wife like that, she's trying to tell you something she has only recently come to terms with herself" Charlie spoke coming to his wife's defense.

"How am I supposed to react Charles, you and Jane married a year after you met and it has been a year since that. So, here we are two years later and I am just hearing about Jane having a sister, who isn't just anyone, its Elizabeth Gardiner the daughter of the Director of United States C.I. Fucking A" Darcy said in one frustrated breath, bringing his hand to his mouth squeezing his jaw to calm his breathing.

"Darcy, just relax and let Jane explain" Richard spoke in a slow soothing tone.

"Richard, don't even get me started on the fact that you're my cousin and you didn't say shit. I stayed in the Gardiner's house in Weinstein; the home of people who I now find out are more intimately related to my best friend's wife than I could have ever imagined".

"That's enough Darcy, if you want to hear the rest of what Jane has to say then you will shut up and listen. Another jackass remark from you and this conversation is over" Charlie said slamming his hand down on the table fuming by his friends attacks towards his wife's character.

Darcy was stunned, never had he once seen Charlie raise his voice, but here he was giving him an ultimate. He decided rather than spit fire at his friend; he'll keep his mouth shut and wait for Jane's explanation.

Taking Darcy's silence as a signal to his cooperation, Charlie turned to Jane and gave her a comforting smile to continue.

"I'm sorry Darcy, I never meant to deceive anyone it's just that Elizabeth means so much to me and after what my parents did, I promised I would never lose her again " Jane said tears glazing over her eyes waiting for their release. Taking a moment to compose herself she cleared her throat and picked up where she left off.

"Well your perception of my parents was correct, my father has never cared about anything but himself and his work, leaving my mother at home to play house. My father would go on long business trips and come home maybe for two or three days and leave again. Needless to say, much of my life under my parent's roof was spent with my mother fawning over me and trying to control pretty much every aspect of my life. Hence her excitement to find out I was marrying Charles Bingley, dual owner of DB Co. Law firm" Jane paused to take a drink of her water and take a quick glance at the three gentlemen sitting at the table. While Richard and Charlie already knew the story, sharing it with Darcy wasn't as easy for her. She was exposing her sister to a man that didn't know anything about her, Jane was worried about what consequences would follow by letting Darcy in on her family's business. There was no going back now so she continued forward.

"Well when I was five my father came home from a business trip pretty drunk. While I didn't know this at the time, apparently he forced himself on my mother and thus, my mother was pregnant with her second child. I was excited, I was going to be a big sister and finally have someone other than my mother and nanny in the house. The nine months leading to my mother giving birth were like a dream come true for me, I hated being alone to deal with my mother's ranting and complaining about my father being away so much, I couldn't wait for a sibling to play with. However my parents weren't so excited. I would hear them yelling and arguing late some nights, but I never knew what they were fighting about. When it came time for the baby to be born my parents went to the hospital and left me at home with the nanny. I hadn't seen or heard from them for three days. Finally they came home and I rushed to the front door to meet my new baby sibling, but there was no baby. My father just walked away towards his study and my mother stood there in tears pulling me in for a hug that felt like she was clinging to me for dear life. I asked her where the baby was and she looked me in the eyes and told me the baby didn't make it". Jane's voice cracked and the tears that were once glazing her eyes were now falling down her cheeks. Charlie handed her some tissues and placed his hand on her back to offer her his support. When her breathing finally settled she looked at Darcy.

"I was heartbroken, after that day my parents went on like nothing had happened; my father back to his business trips and my mother just became more aggressive in her attempts towards primping and prepping me for the day I meet a man and get married. I was six at the time so you can only imagine how obnoxious sitting through lessons about manners and how to properly pour tea was. After high school I decided to accept my admission into Harvard rather than go to Stanford where I would be stuck here in California. My father couldn't carless as long as I was going for law and my mother was pleading me to stay closer to home, it was sad to see her so hurt that I was moving so far, but I needed the space. She went with me to Massachusetts and settled me into my dorm. The day she was to leave was the day she told me what really happened. We were waiting at the airport for her flight and she was crying. It wasn't a, I'm going to miss my daughter cry, it was a full on something is really wrong kind of cry. I was so scared that she was having a panic attack. After she finally stopped sobbing she uttered four words that changed my life. She looked at me and said _you have a sister_. I didn't hear anything after that, everything just started spinning and all I could remember was the day her and my father came home from the hospital. She went into the whole story about how my dad didn't think the baby was his and that he wasn't going to support it. His only form of evidence was that he hadn't touched her for five years so there was no way he did that night. He called my mother a whore and told her she wasn't keeping the baby. He gave her a choice either she give up the baby or he would divorce her and she would never see me again. My mother saw her baby girl once before they took her away. Only thing she knew was the names of the people who adopted the baby, Edward and Madeline Gardiner. For days I just sat in my room and cried; for my mother who gave up her baby, for my father for being an asshole and for the sister I never knew. A week later my mother sent me this," Jane stopped talking and pushed a photo of Elizabeth standing in the oval office with the president at the time.

Darcy picked up the photo and saw a girl dressed in a black dress, hair pulled back in a bun smiling with huge hazel eyes staring back at him. The girl look 10-12 years old and considering she was standing with the former president from 2 terms past, the photo was at least 8 years old.

"She's 12 in that photo" Jane added, seeing Darcy's eyes vigorously examining the photo. "Seeing her in that photograph and not knowing anything about her was my wake up call. I had to find her; to know her. I found her parent's easily with a simple internet search, but I didn't know what to do next. The only thing that came to mind was to try and talk to Elizabeth's adoptive parents, so I went to 4th River Memorial and asked to speak to Dr. Edward Gardiner. I lied and said I was a teacher from Elizabeth's school because they wouldn't let me see him otherwise and then I proceeded to tell him my story. He didn't appreciate the fact that I lied to get a meeting with him, but was sympathetic towards my situation. He turned me away saying that he needed to speak with his wife first, so I left him my contact information and went back to my dorm. It was weeks before I heard anything, but they did eventually call me and we had dinner. I was 18 when I met my 13 year old sister, Elizabeth Gardiner". Jane finished, sniffling, her face red stained with tears.

"Jane, I'm so sorry. I..I" Darcy couldn't form words; he was just shocked by Jane's confession

"No you didn't know, I mean I've only found out as a freshman in college. My secrecy of Elizabeth's identity isn't because I'm embarrassed or ashamed of her; actually I couldn't be more proud to be her older sister. It's because I don't want my parents showing up and complicate things for her. She's the most important thing I have next to Charlie and there is no way I will ever let my parents get their hands on her or her money" Jane finished voice trembling with an emotion Darcy never imagined sweet kindhearted Jane could manage.

"Wait what do you mean you don't want your parents getting their hands on her or her money?" Darcy said puzzled, Richard told him Elizabeth was just an engineer at some security company.

Charlie decided maybe he should take over the conversation and let Jane compose herself.

"You don't mind if I take it from here, do you Jane?" He looked to his wife, who placed her hand on his arm as a gesture of approval.

"You see Darce, Elizabeth doesn't just work for S.A.I.A corp. she owns it."Charlie said eyes pinned on Darcy for his reaction he was not disappointed by the stunned look of confusion.

"Elizabeth Gardiner, owns S.A.I.A? To what extent does her ownership lie?" Darcy asked, curious if she picked up the title from family lineage.

"She founded S.A.I.A right after graduating from MIT".

"So when you said she works at the company as an engineer you lied?" Darcy directed at Richard who was far too quiet throughout the whole exchange.

"No exactly, she does work there as an engineer, she just also happens to be the boss. Her parents have gone through a lot of trouble to keep her out of the public eye. I mean I'd do the same if my kid was a 19 year old genius who built a company that made more money than there are people in this world" Richard finished shrugging his shoulders and returning his attention to his lunch in front of him.

"She's fucking 19 years old?" Darcy exclaimed. Thoughts of his examination of Elizabeth's body flooding through his head. She was practically a child compared to him.

"Well actually she is turning 20 in a few months" Richard said nonchalantly, while taking a chip from the bag and tossing it into his mouth.

"Oh and that makes it so much better" Darcy retorted, Elizabeth was only 2 years older than Georgie and he was thinking about her in ways that were completely inappropriate for someone his age.

"I don't see what the problem is Darce, unless you are now freely admitting to what you completely denied yesterday after dinner" Richard was all smiles now.

"Wait what are you two talking about?" Charlie interrupted.

"Darce here has a crush on Bugs" Richard straightened up in his seat, a smug grin on his face.

"Shut the fuck up Richard" Darcy growled face turning red with fire, eyes shooting daggers at Richard.

Charlie broke into a fit of laughter, which was soon joined by his wife and Richard. Never in all his life knowing Darcy had he seen him blush.

"Oh that's funny, Darcy, crushing on _my_ sister?" Charlie managed to get out while catching his breath from laughing so hard.

"Alright gentlemen, that is my little sister you all are laughing about. Now that you know the truth Darcy, I ask that you keep this bit of information to yourself. There are only a handful of people who know any of this. Even Caroline has no idea who Bugs really is and she has probably been in her company at least on 10 different occasions" Jane said finally calm and back to a more relaxed state of mind.

"You have my full disclosure Jane, I'm so sorry for putting you in such a difficult position" Darcy replied voice sincere with remorse.

"Darcy I think now that you know about Bugs, you'll see that she is a great asset considering what has happened to your own sister".

"What does knowing Elizabeth is your sister have to do with Georgie?" Darcy asked attitude completely switched to a more defensive mode.

"I thought it was obvious, please don't be offended, but Elizabeth is the key to getting her mother to listen to your case regarding Georgiana" Jane said trying to reason with Darcy's fast rising temper.

"No I'm sorry Jane, my douche bag cousin is fully aware of the weight Elizabeth has in this situation, but can't get past his infatuation with her to be sociable enough so she could see he's not a complete moron." Richard answered trying to ease the tension, while shooting Darcy a look of frustration.

"Well whether Darcy admits to such affections regarding Bugs is none of our business, what is important right now is coming up with a plan to inform Bugs about why Darcy is really here and how crucial it is that we need her help" Charlie concluded, taking the opportunity to bring everyone back to reality.

"You're absolutely right Charlie, which is why I think that the basketball game tomorrow will be the perfect time for Darcy and Bugs to bond" Richard suggested throwing everyone a questioning look for their approval, "After the game Darcy and I can take Bugs to dinner and try and ease her into everything then. What do you all think? "

"I don't see anything wrong with that plan" Jane answered.

"Ditto" Charlie agreed with his wife.

All three people in agreement with the plan looked to the last person for an answer. Darcy didn't know what to think. He wanted Georgie back more than anything, but having to woo Elizabeth Gardiner was something easier said than done. He couldn't even get a full sentence out when she was around. She stirred something in him like no one has ever before, but she was basically a child, he didn't want to be that guy; the old man who had the hot woman substantially younger than him hanging off his arm. But this was different, Elizabeth was different. The fact that he has only had two conversations, if you can even call them that, with her but already he was feeling such deep affections towards her is proof enough that she is destined to mean something more to him. But this wasn't about him, no this was about Georgie.

"Fine, I'll try and be friendlier tomorrow" Darcy answered, thoughts of Georgie pushing him to make a better effort towards getting in Elizabeth's good graces.

The group ended their lunch on that note, leaving Jane feeling relieved to finally have the burden of telling Darcy lifted off her shoulders.

**A/N: Happy 4th of July!  
**

**Age of Characters  
**

Elizabeth: 19 turning 20

Jane: 25

Charlie: 27

Darcy: 27

Richard: 30


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Game of Hearts**

After spending all yesterday glued in front of her computer trying to decrypt the file from The Compound, Elizabeth's brain was burnt out and was actually looking forward to the basketball game today. She loved Saturdays; getting to sleep in, Jane making a full breakfast and work was shut out of the picture until Monday morning. After she was showered, dressed and finished making her bed she raced towards the wonderful smell emanating from the kitchen.

"Morning Sissy" Elizabeth said reaching around Jane's body that was stationed in front of the stove and planting a kiss on her sister's cheek.

"Good morning Bugs, I'm making your favorite; blueberry pancakes and cinnamon oatmeal" Jane said smiling at her sister, then returning back to her previous task of flipping pancakes.

Elizabeth grabbed some orange juice and butter out of the fridge and stopped by the pantry to grab the syrup and jelly to place on the breakfast table. Just as she finished setting the plates down Charlie and Darcy walked in.

"Good morning big brother" Elizabeth greeted Charlie giving him a kiss on the cheek which he returned with a smile, and then she turned to Darcy and noticed he was really over dressed for Saturday breakfast. He wore a light blue oxford shirt and a pair of khaki slim trousers. Although he ditched the tie and yes the trousers and shirt were tailored to show off every bit of muscular outline perfectly, it was still a bit too formal for the Bingley house Saturday morning breakfast.

"Good Morning Mr. Darcy" She greeted Darcy with as much civility as she could execute considering he was glaring at her again.

"Morning Miss Gardiner" Darcy spoke, completely taken by Elizabeth's appearance. She was dressed very casually in a pair of sandals some worn out jeans with edgy rips through them and a white v neck shirt that exposed her neck in a way that was not helping Darcy's decision to never think about Elizabeth Gardiner in any way other than as a friend.

"Hope you gentlemen are hungry because sissy has made blueberry pancakes and oatmeal, yum" Elizabeth exclaimed gesturing them all to the table. "Oh and Mr. Darcy please call me Elizabeth, Miss Gardiner makes you sound like you work for me" she unknowingly smiled at Darcy.

"Then please drop the Mr. Darcy and just call me Darcy" He said glad to finally be able to be a little less formal with her.

"Well that's not too much of difference, why doesn't anyone else but Caroline call you anything but Darcy or Darce. Isn't that your last name?" Elizabeth question, a bit put out that he didn't give her leave to call him by his first name.

"I do not like my first name, so I go by my last. Caroline however, forgive me Charles, lacks tact when it comes to following peoples' preferences" Darcy replied while Jane placed the last of the food on the table and sat down.

"She really likes you huh?" Elizabeth replied eyes glowing with mirth.

"Bugs, like is not the proper term here, it's more like she is really obsessed with Darcy" Charlie answered shaking his head as disapproval to his sisters antics towards his friend.

Darcy was too distracted watching Elizabeth pile food on her plate to really pay attention to the question she asked him. He couldn't help but smile at her appetite. Most of the women he knew were afraid to eat in front of him, but not Elizabeth. Another trait he would add to his list of things that made her the most fearless woman he had ever met.

Elizabeth looked up and caught Darcy staring at her again, but for the first time rather than seeing him glare in disgust, his eyes were softer and a smile now graced his face. When her eyes locked on his he looked away and instantly the smile was gone.

"You should really do that more often" She decided to tease him, because whether she wanted to admit it or not he was possibly the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on, even if he was a weird glaring jerk.

"Do what?" Darcy replied cheeks beginning to warm. He didn't look up, but he could feel Elizabeth's eyes on him.

"Smile" Elizabeth said shrugging and putting a spoon of oatmeal in her mouth.

Jane and Charlie both nearly choked on the food in their mouths when they heard Elizabeth's reply. They knew she was a pretty straight forward kind a girl, but this was just downright too real for even them to process.

"Bugs, that is not a proper thing to say to Darcy" Jane decided to scold her little sister for her forwardness.

Darcy however was curious as to why Elizabeth would say something so bold to him. He remembered his promise to be friendlier to her and although he was struggling to kill the infatuation burning inside him, her interest in his smile intrigued him.

"I smile plenty Elizabeth, but why would you randomly say such a thing?" he questioned.

Elizabeth was glad he took the bait and decided to take that as permission to proceed with her teasing.

"Why Darcy could you honestly not know?" she asked with the most charming of smiles painted on her face. Darcy was looking at her now and she went for it, "My cousin Chase loves a man with a charming smile and you sir have the most charming of them all".

Jane and Charlie were definitely choking now. Darcy didn't get it, what was so funny about her cousin liking men who had nice smiles? Although he would have preferred she say she liked his smile, he didn't know what about her comment would trigger Jane and Charlie to burst in laughter.

"I am so sorry about her Darcy, she sometimes lets her mouth run away with her" Jane said trying to send Elizabeth an intimidating glare, but could barely manage to hold it through her chuckling.

"Darcy to fully understand the extent of Bugs's teasing I think you need to be informed that Chase is a guy" Charlie finally got out after taking a drink of his orange juice to distract himself from laughing again.

_She thinks I'm gay, what?_ Darcy thought.

"Darcy is not gay Bugs" Jane said, "and Darcy please forgive my sister, but if it means anything the fact that she is willing to tease you is a good sign; means she actually likes you".

Elizabeth who had been trying to focus on her oatmeal to avoid rolling on the floor laughing at Darcy's discomfort was now glaring at her sister. She did not like Darcy, she was only trying to have a conversation with the guy who she would be seeing a lot of considering they stay under the same roof.

Darcy had a smug look of satisfaction on his face, Elizabeth liked him. Maybe it was strictly platonic, but shit it was a start considering he didn't make a great first impression. Rather than make some prude comment he decided he just stick to the plan of not thinking about the gorgeous brunet sitting across from him on intimate terms and to play nice to get on her good side. Looking at Elizabeth he noticed some jelly on the side of her cheek.

"You have jelly on you cheek" Darcy said, although he wished to jump across the table and lick it right off her, he remained seated but his eyes were pinned on the spot of jelly.

Elizabeth looked up at him, thinking back on what Richard said about her cousin admiring her, she figured she test out his theory and do something that any man would find absolutely irresistible. She placed a finger on the spot of jelly and wiped it off her face, then she very slowly brought her finger to her lips and proceeded to lick off the jelly, making sure a bit of her tongue was fairly visible. She glanced up to see Darcy's reaction and she was not disappointed. His light blue eyes turned deep blue, Elizabeth picked up her dishes and excused herself from the table.

He assumed she would just pick up her napkin and wipe off the offending jelly, but when she licked her finger, he felt his entire body freeze. When her tongue grazed her finger he lost it; he was jealous of that finger, shit he was jealous of the jelly. He was so mesmerized he didn't even noticed she wasn't sitting in front of him anymore. Jane watched the entire exchange between her sister and Darcy and alarms were going off in her head.

"Uh, I think Richard should be arriving soon, maybe we should get ready for the basketball game" Jane offered feeling like she needed to intervene. Did Darcy really have feelings for her sister? She didn't know what to feel about it so she let it go, thinking she will talk to Charlie about it later.

* * *

Richard arrived and the five of them walked to the neighborhood gym, with Charlie rolling the cooler Jane packed full of their lunch. Richard was disappointed to see that Jane did not take his suggestion for her to be dressed as a cheer leader seriously; she was practically fully clothed in jeans and a white form fitting cotton long sleeve. Seeing that his first plan of attack was of no use he went to plan B, his secret weapon Elizabeth.

"Bugs I was thinking that we make this game a little more interesting and screw with Charlie and Darcy's head" Richard propose hoping Elizabeth would agree.

"Why can't we just beat the shit out of them like normal people Rich?" Elizabeth asked rolling her eyes at her best friend's never ending antics to make Charlie and now she assumed Darcy's lives miserable.

"Because normal people are boring as hell. So, listen since you are really good at basketball and I'm sure Charlie and Darcy have no idea about this secret talent of yours. I was thinking maybe you play like crap for the first 20 or so points, and when the two of them take pity and let their guards down you hit your secret little Michael Jordan button and ball the shit out of those fools; bringing home the win and gloating rights that rightfully belong to us" Richard finished a huge grin stretched across his face.

"And what if your sorry ass playing can't keep us in good position during those first few points?" Elizabeth asked never missing a chance to take a jab at Richard.

"Fuck that, I _am _Kobe in the fourth quarter, you insult me" he replied faking offense.

"Alright, but after this you better take me to get the fattest, greasiest burger in town because Jane has been killing me with all this healthy vegetarian crap. We both know food is my avenue to happiness. Deal?" Elizabeth asked, standing up from tying her basketball sneakers.

"Absolutely!" Richard exclaimed far too loudly that the other three people in their group looked over to them.

Apparently Jane wasn't going to play cheer leader at all and decided to take up referee duty. Great there goes all the fun of the game when it's being mediated by play by the rules Jane. But then again Jane didn't know a thing about basketball so it wasn't going to be that bad.

"So only half court, first team to 50 wins, normal scoring; each shot is worth two and three pointers will be taken into account, water break at 25. Understood?" Jane said once everyone were situated in the middle of the court.

Everyone agreed and Richard and Charlie shot for take-out. Charlie made his first shot and of course Richard missed. Elizabeth was pissed, Richard assured her he would be able to manage and now he can't even go heads up with Charlie for a take-out shot, this was going to be a very long game. Elizabeth thought Darcy, in all his stoic arrogance was going to look like an idiot during the game considering he wore suits and professional clothes all day, she was wrong. He looked completely at ease in his basketball shorts and white V-neck tee, moving around the court. Apparently he and Charlie knew exactly what they were doing, while Richard couldn't defend the net to save his life. First play Charlie and Darcy ran, Charlie was driving the ball. He tossed it to the rim where Darcy came in for the alley-oop.

"Shit" Elizabeth yelled, Darcy and Charlie were going to come at the game hard, and with Richard lagging and her promise to play like a damsel she needed to find a way to keep the game at a reasonable distance so she could make a comeback during the second half.

"Bugs, language and just for that the score is 4-0" Jane scolded, having tried for many years to get her sister's use of curse words down to nonexistent.

"What? You're kidding me sissy!" Elizabeth screamed

"Nope, it's you and Richard's ball" Jane replied and walked back to the bench.

Grabbing the ball and walking to the half court line Elizabeth was trying to think of a plan that could keep the game close til the half. Darcy came up to defend, while Richard looked like he was trying to grope Charlie rather than get to an open spot so she could pass him the ball. This wasn't going the way she thought it would, Richard was all talk and no substance. With Darcy's huge figure defending in front of her, the only thing she could do was pass it short and hope to get to it before Darcy does. So she threw it towards Richard, but Darcy had longer legs and arms and retrieved it, driving it to the net and dunking it in.

"Richard, what the hell man, get open" Elizabeth yelled, frustrated at the realization that she had to pick up Richard's slack.

"6-0" Jane said, Elizabeth already annoyed with Richard's crappy playing just rolled her eyes and walked back to half court. The same routine continued til the score was 20-12. Two of those six shots were made by Richard and the other four shots were made by Elizabeth who pretended to throw it like a little sissy into the hoop. Charlie and Darcy weren't even breaking a sweat, while Richard looked as if he just finished a marathon. There was no way Elizabeth could pick them up after the half with this much of a point difference if she didn't do something now. For some unknown reason the conversation with Richard about Darcy admiring her popped into her head and it gave her an idea. Standing at the line to take out the ball with Darcy in front of her, Elizabeth put her plan into action.

"Hey Darcy" she said in the sweetest voice she knew, "about earlier at breakfast, I'm sorry for teasing you. I do that whenever I think someone is cute". Then she saw it, her way in. Darcy was stunned; his body stiffened and opened up leaving the court free for Elizabeth to get to the net and she did.

"Hell yes Bugs" Richard yelled running towards her to congratulate her.

"Yeah no thanks to you Richard" Elizabeth snorted, "Listen I've found Darcy's weakness and I'm going to have fun taking advantage of it". Elizabeth grabbed the ball and threw it at Charlie who was waiting at the line. Richard had an evil grin on his face, he knew exactly what Darcy's weakness was right now and was happy to see Elizabeth finally notice his cousin's attentions towards her.

"I'm not gonna use this information now, let's just let them get to 25 first and then come second half we aren't taking any prisoners. Do you understand Richard; you better stop playing like you have your head up your ass. Get it together. Got it?" Elizabeth was all business now and Richard knew the look, so he agreed.

"20-14" Jane scream, over excited to have a job to do in the game.

Darcy was brain dead. Did Elizabeth just say he was cute? He was grinning like a school boy. Elizabeth took one look at Darcy and knew she hit her mark, he was stunned. This was going to work out in her and Richard's favor. So in accordance with the plan she just told Richard, they let Charlie and Darcy get three more shot easily leaving the score at half time 26-14.

Jane came and pulled Elizabeth aside while the guys were drinking water.

"Bugs, what are you doing? I've seen you play and it is nothing like that sorry excuse you've been pulling out there" Jane questioned.

"Don't worry sis, Richard and I got this. We just wanted to see what they had in them, but now we know and there is no way we are going to lose. So just keep silently cheering for your little sister to win and your husband to lose" Elizabeth said with a huge grin on her face. She walked towards the group to take a drink of water before Jane called the game back to order. Richard was looking ready for war, while Charlie was having a conversation with Jane. Darcy however was sitting on the bench with a look Elizabeth had never seen before. His eyes were pinned to the floor and he seemed to be thinking really hard about something. Elizabeth was actually feeling bad that she was going to be playing a flirt, but she let the fact that she hated losing more cloud her judgment and went forward with her plan.

Since Charlie started the second half, it was Richard who took the ball to the line. Darcy hung back to block Elizabeth, She took advantage of Richard's taunting of Charlie.

"I really only said that thing about Chase, because you make me nervous" Elizabeth whispered and Darcy stopped trying to block her.

"I make you nervous?" Darcy stuttered, but before he could get answer from Elizabeth, she ran across him and caught the ball Richard passed her. Making sure she was behind the 3 point line, she shot the ball and got nothing but net. Charlie was frozen where he stood and Darcy was still trying to process what happened.

"26- 17" Jane scream, this time with a huge grin spreading across her face, this was the kind of basketball she was used to seeing her sister play.

Charlie took the ball to the line and this time Elizabeth went heads up with him, Charlie tried to pass the ball to Darcy, but Elizabeth intercepted it and went for a three at the other side of the hoop.

"26-20" Jane announced. Charlie and Darcy were confused; this wasn't the same Elizabeth that was playing like it was her first day touching a basketball earlier. Sending each other a quick look of awareness, Darcy took the ball to the line. Elizabeth was ready for him. He stepped in front of her and she did something very flirtatious, she looked Darcy in eyes and pulled the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth and bit it. Darcy's eyes went straight to her mouth and Elizabeth stole the ball from his hands. Making her way to the 3 point line she shot the ball.

"26-23" came Jane's voice from the sidelines.

Darcy didn't move. When Elizabeth bit her bottom lip he felt his body go into cardiac arrest. It was the sexiest thing he ever seen; 27 years old and this 19 year old girl in front of him biting her lip was breaking down every ounce of reason in his entire being. He was no stranger to women and their teasing antics; he was after all once of thee most eligible bachelors in the world according to hundreds of magazines opinions. Darcy spent years avoiding them, aside from those one nighters after stressful cases. For the first time ever he had to admit; he was without a doubt absolutely addicted to Elizabeth Gardiner. Darcy was still standing at the line when Charlie's voice brought him back.

"What was that Darce?" Charlie questioned

"I honestly don't know, sorry Charles" Darcy said barely being able to process it himself.

Elizabeth and Richard were waiting behind them for the game to continue. All Elizabeth had to do was tie up the score and then she could get Richard more involved in the game. Charlie still ticked off by Darcy's mishandling of the ball took the line and Richard guarded Darcy. Elizabeth knew her charm wasn't going to work on her brother in law so she did the next best thing.

"You know big brother, Jane and I went lingerie shopping the other day and boy did she buy some very revealing things" Elizabeth whispered causing Charlie's jaw to drop and face to flush cherry red. Elizabeth stole the ball and before anyone had a chance to react she did the same play she just used on Darcy, hitting nothing but net and evening up the score.

Richard was amazed, he knew Elizabeth was good, but four three-pointers in a row against guys twice her size was unbelievable. Elizabeth decided that was enough of playing dirty and was ready to bring the win home for her and Richard. Letting Richard defend the line while she stayed at the net the game progressed til the score was 48-47 they were losing. Darcy and Charlie's shirts were soaked in sweat and Richard was about ready to pass out. Elizabeth knew she had to run a dirty play or else Charlie and Darcy would get the bragging rights that she was not willing to give up. Calling a time out she pulled Richard to the side to discuss their plan of attack.

"Rich, this is a very serious position we find ourselves in, so I'm going to need you to put everything you got into blocking Charlie. I'll take care of Darcy; the only way out of this is if I go for the three, which they are probably anticipating. So keep Charlie at the left side of the court and I'll go right" Elizabeth broke the small huddle giving Richard a smack on the butt and grabbing the ball Jane was holding.

Darcy was watching Elizabeth the whole time, he saw her slap Richard's butt and couldn't help but feel a little jealous that she and Richard were so close. Of course throughout the entire game she had been flirting with him, but to have her touch him, that would be the end of his personal contract with his conscious to steer clear of feeling passionate towards her. He watched as she set the ball down on the bench and do something that looked all too familiar. She reached her hands to the seams of her shirt and took it off. He couldn't believe his eyes, standing in front of him was the same sports bra and running shorts woman he saw across the street the three days ago.

Elizabeth walked to the line, shirt removed and confidence hitting the roof when she saw the way Darcy was staring at her. She had one shot and hoped he was too distracted to interfere with it. Shooting a quick look to Richard to signal she was going for it she started to drive the ball.

Darcy came back to the game matching Elizabeth move for move. She was dribbling towards the right side of the court and Darcy couldn't let her shoot the three, but her barely clothed body was extremely distracting.

Elizabeth had to get Darcy off her back, turning to face him head on she caught his eyes and instinctively placed her hand on his arm to block it from tapping the ball dribbling in front of her.

Darcy felt a tingle up his arm the instant Elizabeth's hand made contact with his skin and he pulled back a bit. He was in a daze. He knew he wanted her to touch him, but never expected it to feel like that.

Elizabeth saw her one second chance to take the shot. She stepped back for it to count as a three and released the ball. It felt like one of those moments in the movies where everything just freezes except for the ball flying through the air. Everyone turned to watch the ball fly towards the hoop and then enter the net. Elizabeth jumped in excitement. Richard ran over to her and picked her up swinging her around. Both of them finished their small celebration and walked over to Darcy and Charlie who were standing near the benches with water in their hands.

"Hey good game guys" Richard said face smug with triumph extending his hand to both of them.

Elizabeth felt bad for taking advantage of them being men and using this weakness to distract them. Seeing as all of them were soaking wet in sweat and pretty much all stinky she threw hand shaking out the window and embraced Charlie. After apologizing for saying what she said about lingerie she turned to Darcy and before he knew it she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him too.

"Uh, good game Darcy. What can I say; Rich and I kind of have a thing for playing dirty. No hard feelings?" She said pulling out of the embrace to look Darcy in the eyes and give him a smile that'll melt anyone's heart.

"None whatsoever" Darcy replied a genuine grin pulling at the corners of his lips. He was still relishing in the feel of her body against his. It was like she fit so perfectly into his arms, then she was gone too soon for his liking. Watching her walk back to her sister, Charlie and Richard he realized, Elizabeth Gardiner was the biggest tease ever, but she was definitely the best in his opinion. He watched her exchange words with her sister and Charlie and saw them both nod to her as if agreeing to something she said. Before he knew it she was walking back towards him.

"Hey, Jane and Charlie are eating some healthy vegetarian meal tonight and I'm not really in the mood for anything healthy after today's game, so Richard suggested that we go to my favorite burger joint. So, uh… do you want to come with the carnivores or stay home with the herbivores?" Elizabeth asked shrugging her shoulders and fidgeting with her hands, feeling a bit awkward at Jane's request for her to ask Darcy if he wanted to come.

"Oh… uh, I'll join you and Richard if you don't mind" Darcy answered heart beating so hard he swore Elizabeth could hear it. She looked so adorable asking him, it reminded him of how innocent Georgie would look when she asked him for something. His face dropped at the memory of Georgie; here he was enjoying a game of basketball and thinking about Elizabeth Gardiner when his sister was still in the hands of that sick bastard Wickham. Darcy didn't even know why he was surprised when Elizabeth asked him to dinner; Richard had already said they would be going to dinner after the game to tell her about Georgie. He wasn't even supposed to be thinking about Elizabeth like that; she was far too young for him and he was in no position to be involved with anyone intimately with everything going on. Everyone was already walking back to the house when he finally stepped out of the gym. He really had to pull himself together, Georgie needed to be first and foremost in his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: One Step Forward, Three Steps Back**

Richard arrived at the Bingley residence around 6:00 ready and dressed for dinner. Like Elizabeth, Richard was dressed very casually in jeans, sneakers and a tee shirt. Darcy however, must have missed the memo that they were going to a burger house and came out the same way he was dressed for breakfast, too dressed.

"Really Darcy, do you not own a pair of jeans?" Elizabeth said as they walked out the front door.

"I do, I just feel more comfortable going to public places dressed properly" Darcy replied closing the door behind him.

The conversation was lost on Elizabeth when she spotted, Richard leaning on the hood of a 1969 Chevelle. It was a nice colored maroon with black race strips on its hood and cream leather interior (1). Her eyes widen in excitement.

"Is this yours?" Elizabeth exclaimed, frozen in place by the gorgeous car in from of her.

"Yup, just bought it yesterday" Richard replied motioning Elizabeth to the car with a wave of his hand. Darcy just glared at his cousin's carefree views when it came to spending money.

"Dude, I am completely jealous, my papa would never let me have something like this. But the real question is, what the fuck does a British bred monkey like you know about old school American muscle?" She teased walking around the car to open the driver's door.

"Honestly, I don't know shit, Charlie helped me" Richard replied grinning at all the squealing Elizabeth was doing while messing with everything in the car. "Alright let's go, I'm starving".

Elizabeth who had a smile glued on her face the entire time, quickly turned to the opening in between the two front seats and in one swift movement slid to the back seat. Darcy who was standing outside the car opened the door and pulled the lever to move the passenger seat forward.

"Elizabeth, please take the front seat; I insist" He offered, knowing it was the gentleman thing to do.

"Uh, Darcy if you sat back here you'd be kissing your knees, trust me you'll be more comfortable in the front. I really don't mind, as long as I'm in this badass car I'm happy" Elizabeth said turning her face from him to secure her seat belt. Darcy knew she wasn't going to budge so he pushed the seat back to position and buckled his own seatbelt.

The three of them arrived at the Burger house; after Richard parked the car Darcy got out and offered his hand to Elizabeth. Elizabeth a bit taken back by his gentlemen like gestured looked at his hand for a second, after rolling her eyes she put her hand in his and he helped her out of the backseat. Darcy didn't know what it was, but just like during the basketball game a light tingle flew through his hand spreading to his entire body, then it was gone when she removed her hand from his.

Elizabeth loved this place; it was only a few blocks from the S.A.I.A building, so she would always send Chase here to grab her some lunch. She and Darcy followed Richard inside and although she wanted to sit at the counter, Richard suggested a booth instead. So here they were sitting in a half moon booth both gentlemen on the sides of her, blocking her way out.

"Really Rich, why couldn't we just sit on the stools? That's where I always have my burgers" Elizabeth complained, voice sounding like a little kid who was seconds from throwing a tantrum.

"Because you're having dinner with two other people Bugs. Sitting at the counter will constantly leave one of us out. Now quit pouting and enjoy the fact that you won't be force feeding yourself salad tonight" Richard scolded handing her a menu, which Elizabeth took and rolled her eyes. So Richard was right, didn't mean she had be nice about it. Darcy was watching Elizabeth's pouting since they sat down and he had to admit, she was adorable. The way her small chin lifted because of how she was squeezing her lips together making her brows furrowed, causing her beautiful hazel eyes to seem darker. She was the definition of cute. Richard had suggested a booth because they would need some privacy when he and Darcy told Elizabeth about Georgie.

"Hello, I'm Lilly what can I get you guys?" a waitress said, holding her pen and notepad in front of them. She was examining the three of them and Elizabeth noticed the way her eyes lit the moment she saw Darcy. The way the woman, who looked to be in her mid twenties looked at Darcy was definitely flirtatious and Elizabeth couldn't understand why, but she was feeling a bit of jealousy bubbling inside her. She cleared her throat and addressed the waitress.

"Hi Lilly, I'll have a coke and a Big SanFran, hold the malo and pickles. I'll also have an order of onion rings in addition to fries, please" She said giving Lilly a well practiced force smile, but was shooting daggers at her with her eyes.

Richard who knew Elizabeth's forced smile all too well, wondered what the poor waitress had done to deserve such a fake welcoming. He turned to the waitress and noticed her eyes pinned on Darcy as well. Richard's face turned smug with realization that his best friend just might be harboring secret feelings for his cousin. Oh things were working out perfectly in his opinion.

"I'll have the same Lilly, but you can keep the pickles and malo in mine. Oh and can you add some bacon please?" Richard smiled at her trying to get her attention, but she was still lost in day dreaming of Darcyland.

Darcy was uncomfortable with the waitress's eyes undressing him, so he quickly just closed his menu and said he'll have the same as Elizabeth just no onion rings.

"Is it always like that when you go to a restaurant Darcy?"Elizabeth asked eyes still a bit ticked off with irritation.

"Like what Elizabeth?"Darcy replied a bit hesitant to hear the answer, after being the end of Elizabeth's teasing he has learned that he never really knows what will come out of her mouth.

"Like everyone else you are dining with doesn't exists if the person taking the orders is a woman, shit maybe it's the same way if the person is male. Don't let this inflate your ego, I get it you're handsome, but why the fuck do people have to stare?" Elizabeth replied finally letting go of her frustration and just laughing it away.

"Bugs, now you know Jane won't let me take you out anymore if she knew I let you talk like that, so let's keep the swearing down to one word per statement please? And about the Darcy thing, yes it is like that all the time" Richard said rolling his eyes and playing with one of Elizabeth's curls running down her back.

Darcy was still processing the latter part of Elizabeth's comment; she did think he was handsome. His insides were jumping, he stayed this way so long he didn't even notice the waitress had returned with their food and Richard and Elizabeth were already eating. He shook his head lightly trying to refocus.

Elizabeth and Richard didn't know what had gotten into him, but they gave up trying to get his attention and just talked amongst themselves til the food arrived. Elizabeth thought Darcy was weird, but the fact that he just stared at her and said nothing to either her or Richard for the past ten minutes was just too creepy. When she noticed him shaking his head she looked up.

"So your back Darcy. We were starting to think you fell asleep with your eyes open" She snorted, Richard was giggling beside her.

"Sorry, I just uh got distracted" Darcy replied picking up the ketchup to put over his fries.

"You know, you stare a lot. Especially at me" Elizabeth was trying to make Darcy uncomfortable and from the way he avoided making eye contact with her now she knew she was hitting her mark and continued. "I thought you were just being a jerk and glaring at me in disgust, but Richard said it was probably out of admiration which I completely thought was absurd." Darcy's cheeks were now burning red for two reasons, first he was blushing because Elizabeth was practically calling him out on his feelings and second because he was pissed at Richard for saying anything.

"Well, the point of what I'm saying Darcy is, like the waitress I think you are good looking, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna completely blank out on my surroundings and spend the evening staring at you. It's kind of uncomfortable for both parties involved don't you think?" She finished throwing a questioning shrug Darcy's way. Richard was completely mortified by Elizabeth's speech; he was definitely going to get a full wrath ass whooping from Darcy now.

Richard was given a life line when his phone started vibrating in his pocket, he excused himself and Elizabeth and Darcy were left in the booth alone.

"I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable" Darcy finally said, after he composed himself. He really wasn't expecting that, but for some reason he didn't mind; Elizabeth's forwardness was a beautiful thing to witness, even if he was on the receiving end of it.

"No, I should have never said anything, seeing what just happened I'm probably the biggest hypocrite that ever lived. I said you were making me feel uncomfortable and then I went ahead and made both you and Richard uncomfortable. It's just I'm pretty much a straight forward kind of girl. My sister always tells me my mouth will get me in trouble one day and her I am proving her right" She confessed dropping her eyes to her plate and fidgeting with her fries.

"Yeah you're a bit forward, but I have never met anyone as fearless and honest as you are. It's refreshing" Darcy admitted eyes finally daring to look up at Elizabeth. He was met with the same enchanting hazel eyes that invaded his every thought. She was beautiful.

"Refreshing? Are you sure you didn't mean to say annoying as hell?" she blurted out an awkward laugh following.

"No, I meant refreshing. When you're surrounded by people only being nice to you because they know who you are and how much money you have, fakeness becomes all too familiar"

"Well that's a first, uh… I guess since we're being all sentimental and what not, this would be a good time to apologize for earlier at breakfast, and quite frankly the entire basketball game"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a flirt I swear, it's just Richard can't play basketball for shit and we wouldn't be best friends if we didn't have a lot in common, that being we never really play fair. So I had to resort to using feminine charm and try and distract you. So I'm sorry, you know… for being a flirt" she finished, her cheeks burning like fire. Darcy was amazed by her confession, just like he was at any other thing she said.

"So are you saying you were a tease just to win?" he questioned hoping that she would deny this and not crush the hope that was boiling in his heart.

"Uh, I'm saying… that in that moment yes I was what you called it being a tease, but I would like to clarify that I am not one that usually behaves that way. I just hate losing."

"So you don't have feelings for me?" Darcy was being bold, but he figured what the hell. If she said no then maybe his inappropriate feelings for her would disappear and he could focus on Georgie. But before he could get an answer Richard came back from his phone call.

"Sorry about that guys, I've been waiting for a call regarding a case and so I had to take it. What's going on here?" Richard asked innocently, after taking in the very red faces of the other two occupants of the booth.

"Nothing" both Elizabeth and Darcy replied at the same time, each focusing on the food in front of them.

"Okay, well… then I guess now is probably a good time to talk about why we are really here or more so why Darcy is here" Richard tried to easily ease this serious conversation in.

"I thought we were here to escape having to eat some vegetarian dish Jane cooked up" Elizabeth replied completely oblivious to the seriousness of Richard's appearance.

"That's partially true, but uh… you see Bugs we actually need to ask a really big favor from you" Richard was staring at Darcy hoping he'd take the cue to chime in.

"Elizabeth," Darcy said to get her to look at him, he wasn't sure there was any other way to say this but to just say it so he did. "I'm the one who stayed at your family's home in Weinstein" He confessed, the look that appeared on Elizabeth's face was absolute surprise.

"Wait Richard said it was a friend in trouble, you're rich and a lawyer, what kind of trouble could you possibly have been in?" She asked her eyes blinking in confusion.

"The same kind of trouble he is still in" Richard replied. He knew Elizabeth was trying to process everything at lightning speed inside her brain so he just got out with it, "Darcy's sister has been kidnapped by a very powerful group of drug lords and we are here asking for your help to convince your mother to help us get Georgie back." Richard said quietly so that no one else around them could hear.

Elizabeth's head sprang up and turned to Darcy.

"You were staying at my house because you have drug lords following you? Are you crazy? " She practically spat.

"Bugs, you have to understand, these people have a very powerful influence in Europe. Darcy put away one of their key distributors last month in Texas, as retaliation they kidnapped his sister" Richard tried to reason with her. He never told her who was staying at her home in Weinstein or why, he just said he needed help.

"Richard, do you know how much trouble I would be in if my parent's found out about this, they have just barely began giving me a little slack. Why haven't you gone to the authorities?" She directed at Darcy.

"They're all under the associations thumb; nothing happens that doesn't get back to them. They've threatened to kill my sister if I continued to come after them" Darcy replied hand rubbing his chin, his anger starting to rise. Thinking about Lotus and what they have done to his family was the only thing that made his blood boil, but having to say all these things out loud was just pushing him into unknown territory.

"Bugs, you once told me about your mother's privately funded black ops agency The Compound, we don't know what else to do" Richard pleaded. Elizabeth was the only way to her mother, she had to help them.

"WHAT!" Elizabeth yelled, Richard put his hands up to calm her down and get her to lower her voice.

In a lower, but still furious tone Elizabeth continued.

"You told him about The Compound? Richard I told you that in confidence, that was never suppose to be repeated and you promised me you wouldn't. I can't believe you betrayed that trust. My mother's agency is not public knowledge and telling Darcy was not allowed" she finished, breathing was becoming difficult and her eyes were burning with anger. She wanted to storm out of there, but figured that is why Richard and Darcy were situated on each side of her, to trap her in that booth.

Darcy was get agitated by the second, here they were asking her to help save his sister's life and she was yelling at Richard about trust. There was a life at stake, why couldn't she just see that. He was starting see Elizabeth's age taking the stage; this immaturity was painting her as someone who was definitely not crush-worthy.

"Bugs, I'm sorry I know I wasn't supposed to tell, but this is far bigger than just you and me. You have to help Darcy get his sister back; my little cousin. She's only two years younger than you and in the hands of really bad people. It's been weeks since we've heard anything. We don't have any other options" Richard said taking Elizabeth's hand in his, but she quickly yanked it back seeing nothing but red.

Darcy had enough of Elizabeth's childish hissy fit she was throwing and finally spoke up.

"Why are you acting like a child when we've just told you that my sister was kidnapped and her life is in the hands of a notorious drug gang? So Richard told me one secret get over it, I have no idea why I even agreed to go with his plan. Had I known he was leading me to ask an immature selfish little teenage girl for help, do you honestly think I would be sitting here? I'm a moron for thinking some child genius wannabe could ever be of help to me, Lotus isn't some small organization to be fucked with, asking you for help was a huge mistake on my part" Darcy hissed, dropping his fists on the table and staring Elizabeth down.

Richard was silenced, Darcy was out of line; he was trying to handle the situation and here Darcy was fuming with anger directed at Elizabeth who didn't deserve it. Before Richard had a chance to berate his cousin for yelling at Elizabeth there was a loud bang under the table.

Elizabeth was enraged, Darcy had just insulted her entire being; she wasn't even thinking coherently anymore. All she knew is she needed to separate herself from him or else she would embarrass her parents profoundly. Without another seconds thought, she reached into her cross body purse and took out a hundred dollar bill. She threw it on the table and since she was blocked in on both sides she slipped down under and crawled out from under the table. Once she was free from the confines of the booth she walked as fast as she could towards the door and pushed it open, the cold wind outside cutting like a knife against her skin. Taking a second to realize her surroundings she started running as fast as her feet could carry her towards the S.A.I.A building some 3 miles away. It didn't take her long to get to the building, realizing all those morning runs had finally paid off. She took out her ID card and swiped it to gain access to the building, she was greeted by the security guards whom after assurances that everything was alright escorted her up to her office some 20 floors up. She was panting waiting for the elevator to get there, but she didn't care; she was too pissed to care about anything other than what Darcy said. Locking the door behind her when she got into her office, she collapsed on the floor too stunned and confused to cry. She just sat there; eye shut, knees pulled to her chest and hands gripping the back of her neck. She had dealt with insults about her age and intelligence since she entered middle school as 10 year old and she had always brushed it off, but having Darcy say it to her broke her heart. She didn't understand why, but his opinion actually mattered to her. After catching her breath and realizing her predicament, she pulled out her phone and texted Jane she was going to stay at her office tonight. Elizabeth got up and threw herself down on the bed in her small apartment; there she remained thinking about everything that happened.

* * *

After dozens of attempts to call Elizabeth, and driving around the blocks surrounding the restaurant, Richard finally decided it was time to go back and tell Jane and Bingley what happened. Richard had not spoken a word to Darcy since leaving the restaurant; he couldn't believe what just happened.

They pulled up to the Bingley house, each one with their own set of thoughts consuming them. Darcy took his key and unlocked the door walking in and swiping the key against a small black panel on the wall to deactivate the alarm. Getting in and out of the house had a few security steps to it; he now realized that Elizabeth was probably the one behind it all.

Darcy and Richard walked into the living room where Charlie and Jane were seated on the floor playing a game a Scrabble.

"Oh you guys are back" Charlie said cheerfully looking up from the floor.

"Where's Bugs, I figured when you guys got back she'd run in screaming about how great it was to finally eat real people food" Jane questioned a huge grin on her face, knowing Elizabeth's addiction to eating horribly.

Richard and Darcy took seats opposite each other on the sofa and neither one of them knew where to start. Jane was worried now.

"Richard where's Bugs?" she asked in a very slow warning voice.

"Uh… Jane… um, things" Richard didn't know what to say, how was he suppose to tell Jane that her sister stormed out of the restaurant and they had no idea where she went.

Darcy had never been so nervous in his life, he yelled at Elizabeth and she ran away. He was worried about her; who knows where she was or what has happened; all he knew was it was his fault.

Charlie was standing now. He walked out of the room and called for Elizabeth. After running upstairs and checking for her, he returned to the living room.

"She's not upstairs, where is she?" Charlie question voice filled with panic.

"Richard where the hell is my sister" Jane asked again this time her voice was deep and shaking with fear.

"She ran out of the restaurant. We don't know where she is" Darcy finally spoke his voice nearly a whisper.

"She ran away? What? I..I don't understand" Charlie stuttered, trying to wrap his head around the words Darcy just spoke.

Jane didn't even wait to hear another word, she ran out of the room and took the stairs by two to reach the top. Once she was in the hall of the second floor she bolted to her room and grabbed her phone from its charging port. Turning it on she saw Elizabeth's text, _I'm staying at the office tonight; don't blame Richard or Darcy I just need to think. Sorry if you're worried, love you sissy._ Jane dropped on her bed, heart beating so fast she was sure it was going to jump right out of her chest. After sending Elizabeth a reply Jane closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. Once she caught her breath she pulled herself together and walk back down to the living room to find out what happened. When she walked back into the room all three gentlemen stood and she motioned for them to sit back down. She took the seat next to her husband and finally spoke.

"She's staying at her office tonight" turning to look Charlie in the eyes she whispered, "She's alright". Then addressing the two responsible in front of her she said,

"I want the entire story, but I want it from Darcy considering I trusted you, Richard with my sister and now she is sleeping in her office, when she belongs here; at home" Jane spoke voice filled with anger.

Richard knew he let her down; no one cared more about Elizabeth in the room than Jane. He didn't know how things got so out of hand, he never expected Darcy to be so cruel towards Elizabeth. He hung his head, knowing full well Jane had every reason to hate him right now.

Charlie didn't know how to act, there sitting in front of him were two of the most trustworthy people in the world, but sitting beside him was the woman he loved near tears. He loved Elizabeth like the sister he wished Caroline was, he was sure this was all some big misunderstanding. Taking Jane's hand in his he try to sooth her anger and assure her that everything was alright.

Darcy was feeling guilty, he over reacted and said some of the harshest things to Elizabeth that he had ever let pass his lips in his entire life. To top it off, Jane was so angry at Richard that she was not even acknowledging his opinion at all. Darcy knew he had some explaining to do, it was time to own up to everything.

"Jane I'm am so sorry. It's all my fault." Darcy said running a hand through his hair and leaning forward in his seat to place his elbows on his knees. "Richard was telling Elizabeth about needing her help to convince her mother to let us hire her agency to find Georgie. Elizabeth was very angry that Richard told me about her mother's agency saying it was confidential and I impatiently lost my temper and took it out on her" Darcy confessed, not really knowing how to go on telling Jane all the horrible things he called Elizabeth.

"What do you mean you took it out on her?" Jane was all fire now and dropped Charlie's hand, balling hers into fists; trembling with rage from the realization that Darcy was the one who hurt her sister.

"I called her a child, and accused her of not being smart enough to be able to help out with Georgie's situation" Darcy admitted, it was possibly the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He cared about Elizabeth in a way he had never felt towards another woman, but he had hurt her and nothing he said was true. His anger poured over so quickly he couldn't control it. He wasn't angry at Elizabeth, he could never be angry at her; it was his pent up frustration at Lotus that caused him to lash out.

Jane felt like she had let her sister down, Darcy had no right to belittle Elizabeth. How could he insult her sister like that; Elizabeth deserved every single ounce of respect and honor her hard work has earned her.

Charlie could feel his own anger rising, Darcy really did it this time. Charlie grabbed his wife's hands when he saw her move to leave the couch, trying to keep her from lunging across the room and slapping Darcy across the face. Charlie felt he better do something to mediate the whole situation before Jane's emotions got the best of her.

"Uh, I don't know what to say. I'm sure you didn't mean to say those horrible things about her Darcy." Charlie spoke calmly. "This obviously wasn't the best way to have approached bringing Bug's into the whole ordeal with Georgie, but I think the two you need to understand where she is coming from. Her reserves regarding The Compound are a little deeper than the both of you are aware. You see, Bugs got into a little bit of trouble 6 months ago. She went behind her parents back and participated in a mission that she wasn't given her parent's permission for, hence the three months she had to move out. I'm sure you remember Richard? Jane and I, as her sit-in guardians should have never allowed you two to handle this on your own. It probably was not the best decision on our part, but we figured it was Darcy's business so we let the both of you handle it. Seeing as though everything has just gone completely downhill, I think maybe its best we just give Bugs her space right now, we know where she is and that she's safe" Charlie reasoned looking to his wife for approval. Jane was still breathing quite heavily, but she was grateful for her husband's handling of the situation.

Richard had no idea why Bugs left earlier that year, she only told him she was going back to visit her family and then they never spoke about it again.

"Jane I'm so sorry" Richard finally spoke, voice surrounded in emotion.

"Richard, I no longer trust you with Elizabeth. I do not care if she is an adult, she is still my little sister and I swear on my life I will protect her from anyone who will hurt her. I promised her that the day I found her and now she's thinking who knows what alone in that empty building" Jane snapped, she tried so desperately not to lose control of her anger, but hearing Richard's voice just broke down those walls.

"Ok, it seems like things are getting worse by the moment so, why don't we all just call it a night and when Bug's comes back we'll talk about it together" Charlie suggested seeing that with every second the tension in the room was building high and higher.

Everyone silently agreed. While Jane walked up the stairs, Richard left and Darcy went to his room leaving Charlie to lock up and set the alarm. This was not the way anyone thought the night would end.

Link in Profile:

(1)Richard's Car


	10. Interruption

**Quick explanation for the treatment of Elizabeth as a 'minor': **Sorry, not a new chapter just clearing up a few things.

* * *

1. Her parents are huge coddlers; especially her father.

2. She has been living with Jane and Charles since she was 18, they are not legal guardians, but have an agreement with Maddy and Eddie to watch over her while she is in S.F. Jane's treatment of Elizabeth is protective because of guilt of missing 13 years.

3. She's not the independent I'm doing my own shit Elizabeth that is normally portrayed. She has a loving mother and father that babied her as opposed to Jane's parents who gave her up. She loves her adoptive parents to death, their opinions actually matter. No need to be a bratty kid if your parents are kind, loving and supportive.

4. Maddy knows the risks associated with the CIA and The Compound. She doesn't want Elizabeth to choose that path. Plus, there is no way Elizabeth is getting in without her mother's approval so she'll never become active duty if the Director isn't on board. So whether Elizabeth is 19 or 40 years old, if Maddy isn't down she aint getting it.

5. No one knows Elizabeth is S.A.I.A's CEO, she may work there in the labs, but at the end of the day she wants to go home to family rather than an empty house. This is why she would rather live with Jane and Charlie.

6. She isn't even 21; life has not even hit her yet. She may be a genius, but there are some things out there that a book isn't going to teach you.

7. Moral of this interruption,** family is important.**

8. Richard met Elizabeth when she was 18 and he was 28, and Richard is a child all the way around, so connecting with Elizabeth was instant. They have the same type of personality. That's all the explanation I can give as to why and how they are BFFs.

Next chapter coming 07/12: MY BIRTHDAY...woot woot


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Oh Shit I Did It**

Elizabeth was exhausted. It had been two days since the night at the Burger House and she hadn't slept one wink. She didn't even leave that office once in those two days. It wasn't because she was still thinking about everything Darcy and Richard said to her, she was well passed all of it. Matter of fact, she decided to help Darcy. She realized that if it were Jane missing, there is no stone that would go unturned and no resource she wouldn't completely exhaust to find her. Her lack of sleep was due to the fact that she was finally making ground on cracking the file for The Compound. For the last two days she had Chase cancel all her meetings and appointments and consider her out of office; only to be bothered if Chase was bringing in food or if there was a family emergency of any sort.

Elizabeth threw herself into decrypting that file; getting a huge break when she noticed a very odd frequency counts that revealed a few poorly hidden folders. The file was very large so rather than sit there and try to make out the pattern she used one of her programs to very quickly analyze the frequency pattern. After finding these patterns she was in the home straight. She figured out a few pieces of the ciphertext and used this as the foundation of the decryption program she was working on now. It was around 7 o'clock in the evening, she was putting the finishing touches on a program when Jane stormed into her office.

"Bugs, you have exactly five seconds to save whatever you are working on before I shut your laptop and drag you home with me" Jane said very sternly standing next to her desk hand placed on the tip of laptop screen.

"No wait, I'm almost done…" Elizabeth pleaded.

"5" Jane said sternly.

"Stop counting, I'm working"

"4"

"Quit it, I've almost finished writing this program"

"3"

"Stop" Elizabeth was frantically clicking and pressing keys on her laptop trying to save all her work

"2"

"Shit, it's saved" Elizabeth yelled throwing her hands up in surrender. Jane slammed the screen shut and placed the laptop in its bag. Then she grabbed all the loose papers covering Elizabeth's desk and threw them in the bag along with the computer and zipped it up.

"What the hell was that for?" Elizabeth screamed, she was over reacting; she knew it, but so was Jane.

"You haven't been home for 2 days Bugs. You have death rings around your eyes and you don't even look like you have stepped out of this room at all. Now get whatever else you want to take home. I'll meet you in the car downstairs, you have 5 minutes" Jane demanded walking towards the door and then turning back around. "And if you make me come back up here to get you, I swear I will ship your ass back to Boston to deal with your parents" she threatened and then shut the door behind her.

Jane was pissed and Elizabeth knew that she had exactly five minutes before she would be on a plane to a different zip code, so she grabbed her cell phone, the secret files she always kept in her false bottom drawer and her coat and ran to the elevator. She was fuming that Charlie hadn't given her the heads up that Jane had gone rogue; her brother in law was so going to get it. She saw Jane's car parked at the curb in front of the building and climbed in.

"I'm sorry for not coming home alright, but I just got so wrapped up in work that if I stopped I would lose my mojo" Elizabeth said hoping Jane would understand that she wasn't avoiding her or Charlie, but that she really was working.

"Designing new gadgets and devices is not important Bugs. We are your family and you are not allowed to neglect us" Jane replied, a little calmer now that Elizabeth was in the car and they were going home together.

"No you don't understand Sissy, this isn't S.A.I.A work. This is The Compound type stuff" Elizabeth whispered as if someone else were in the car trying to eavesdrop.

"I thought Maddy just wanted you to fix broken bugs that day? What are you not telling me?" Jane questioned, hurt her sister was keeping something from her.

"I'm not keeping anything from you; I just haven't had the time to tell you so don't give me that look alright?" Elizabeth countered.

"Well then spill it" Jane's curiosity was now at its peak.

"Maddy couldn't get any of the CIA techs to decrypt some file and then she sent it down to The Compound techs who couldn't do it either. Apparently I was the last resort and I think I've nearly got it. I was in the process of finishing up a program I was writing that would decrypt the file until you walked in and had your little I'm queen bee moment" Elizabeth said with a small grin. Jane was never one to get physical, but that scene back at the office was pretty damn close.

"Can you tell me what the file was associated with?" Jane asked hoping the answer was going to be a yes.

"I trust you and Charlie, but I'll only tell you if you promise that when we get home I can finish what I was working on. Once I have the program up and running on the file, I'll come down and we can have our Dr. Phil moment" Elizabeth proposed. She had been so close and although she much rather have avoided the entire conversation about that night, she knew Jane was never one to leave things simmering in the air.

"Fine, you can finish your work once we get home" Jane gave in, she did barge in and interrupt her sister's work; then forced her to come home. The least she could do is let her finish.

"It deals with a notorious drug group named Lotus, but that's not all. At the dinner Darcy said his sister was kidnapped by Lotus. That's why I have been working so hard to decrypt the file. Jane I'm going to help him get her back" Elizabeth turned to Jane and was pleading her sister to understand her decision.

"Bugs, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Darcy's sister when he arrived, It just wasn't my business to tell" Jane confessed. She and Elizabeth shared everything with each other, but keeping this from her was hard for her because she knew it wasn't her secret.

"No I understand sissy and I'm sorry for not coming home" Elizabeth leaned over her seat and placed a kiss on her sister's cheek. Jane pulled the car into the garage and Elizabeth grabbed her bag from the backseat and walked in behind her sister into the house where Charlie was waiting for them.

Elizabeth ran straight into his open arms, "Hey big brother" she said really missing his ever present grin.

"You Bugs, you're in big trouble" Charlie teased, ruffling his hand on the top of her hair.

"No, you're in bigger trouble for not giving me the heads up that Jane had gone into hulk mode" Elizabeth smiled and turned when she felt another person's presence in the room.

Darcy was watching from the corner and realized how much of a difference the whole atmosphere around the house had changed when Elizabeth walked in. She had an effect on people, bringing them together and making things just flow and he wondered if she even knew she how incomplete Jane and Charlie were without her. He knew he should apologize, but he didn't know how to approach the situation. She looked like she hadn't slept since he last saw her and he immediately felt his heart sink. She was hurt and he was the one who caused it. He saw Elizabeth turn and face him. Without saying a word she nodded her head to him and then turned back to Jane and Charlie.

"I already had dinner and Jane promised me I could finish up some work that she rudely interrupted. Is that alright bro?" Elizabeth asked, wanting to make sure Charlie knew she was avoiding his company.

"Of course it's alright Bugs, just make sure you come down for dessert. I promise you won't want to miss it" Charlie replied. To make sure Elizabeth understood him he winked at her which caused Jane to roll her eyes. Tonight they were having banana splits and she knew all too well how her husband and sister enjoyed satisfying their sweet tooth.

Elizabeth walked up the stairs and into her study, she probably should have said something to Darcy, but she didn't really want to. Opening her bag to reset her work space she sat down in her over sized chair and proceeded to put the finishing touches on her decryption program.

Downstairs dinner had just finished and no one had heard a peep from the second floor. Charlie and Darcy were making the ice cream sundaes in the kitchen when Charlie finally spoke up.

"Here, take this to Elizabeth and apologize" Charlie said while handing Darcy a banana split sundae and spoon.

"What do I say; she didn't even say a word to me when she walked in. She looked completely drained Charles. I've messed this entire situation up" Darcy sounded defeated, Charlie knew Darcy was sorry for what he said, but fixing it was going to take him putting aside his pride and that was something Darcy always carried around.

"Just start with the truth and then work your way up from there. Now take this and be sincere about it because it's the only hope you have to finding Georgie and quite frankly it's the only way Jane will ease up on the death stare she keeps shooting at you" Charlie chuckled at the last part of his statement, Jane really was giving Darcy a hard time these past two days.

Darcy took the ice cream and walked up the stairs towards Elizabeth's study. He had never seen her personal work space and was a bit curious as to what it looked like. Knocking on the door he heard her soft voice give him permission to come in.

Elizabeth has just finished writing the decryption program and clicked the run button for it to start doing its magic on the Lotus file. While she sat there watching the program run she heard a soft knock on the door, thinking it was Jane coming to force her downstairs she absentmindedly gave permission for whoever it was to come it.

Darcy walked into the room and was amazed at how perfectly the room fit her. There were bookshelves lining every inch of the wall, a long L shaped desk was positioned in front of Elizabeth with a huge flat screen monitor resting on top of the desk to her right, two individual push chairs situated in front of the desk and a settee pushed off in the corner of the room. Darcy walked in towards her desk, picking up a coaster from the side table and setting it down in front of her, placing the bowl of ice cream on top of the coaster.

"Is this some sort of peace offering?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Uh, yes. I suppose it is" Darcy replied nodding his head towards the seat behind him. Elizabeth gave him a nod of agreement that he could sit.

"Well looks like you've found my weakness and I accept" Elizabeth thought maybe smiling her way through the next few awkward moments will help them pass quicker.

"Elizabeth I was an asshole, I am an asshole" Darcy finally blurted out after a few seconds of awkward silence. "I didn't mean a word of what I said that night at the restaurant. I'm not going to make an excuse for my horrible behavior; because there is nothing I could say that would make what I did acceptable. I had no right to degrade your accomplishments and judge you by your age. You're intelligence and character advance far above any person I have ever met; old and young alike" Darcy was going to continue his apology, but Elizabeth interrupted him.

"Darcy, please stop. Apology accepted" Elizabeth said her eyes smiling from the sincerity of his words. For an arrogant man like Darcy, she knew that had to be a hard pill to swallow.

"No, I don't deserve to be forgiven Elizabeth, you did nothing wrong and I just attacked you. How can you sit there and accept my apology when I said such horrible things to you?" Darcy was surprised at her easy approach at the situation. She was calm and posed as if nothing had happened. He didn't understand how she could accept his apology.

"Because I know what you said wasn't true. My whole life I have put up with being insulted, I was a senior in high school when I was 16 Darcy. People would always say nasty things to me. I have learned that although the words may hurt, at the end of the day I keep pushing forward. So I accept you apology and would very much like to start over" Elizabeth offered her own suggestion for a truce.

Darcy was having mixed feelings. Did she see him as one of those people who would always say nasty about her? He didn't want her to accept his apology as a natural instinct; he really wanted her to understand he didn't think all those horrible things about her.

"Elizabeth, what I said was a mistake; I didn't mean a word of it. Please I don't want your forgiveness because you feel obligated. I want you to know that I'm really not that jerk you encountered in the restaurant".

"Well then I'd like to meet the real you and not the arrogant shit head that has been hanging around here lately" Elizabeth replied, shrugging her shoulders and staring straight into Darcy's eyes.

Hes smiled and stood up extending his hand towards Elizabeth.

"Hello I'm Fitzwilliam Darcy, It's a pleasure to meet you Miss?" Darcy greeted Elizabeth with a very sincere charming smile painted across his face.

"Miss Elizabeth Gardiner, please call me Elizabeth" Elizabeth stood and gave Darcy a firm handshake. So his first name was Richard's last name, how weird she thought. No wonder he went by Darcy. Since they were starting fresh maybe she save that for another time.

"Then I must insist you call me Darcy" He replied, completely lost in her eyes and enchanted by the beautiful smile she was giving him. Even with her sleep deprived appearance she still look every bit the goddess Darcy always saw her as.

"Well then Darcy, was that all that brought you up to my study?" Elizabeth asked taking spoon full of her ice cream.

"Actually, I thought maybe I could tell you a little bit about myself if you do not mind?" Darcy inquired; transfixed by the way she was licking the ice cream off her spoon. He told himself to focus, he had something very important to say and watching her eat her ice cream was not going to help him.

"Well, I'm all ears. Please proceed" she said voice filled with genuine curiosity.

Darcy wanted to be honest with Elizabeth, here he was given the stage to do so but he was afraid to be so vulnerable with her. He was certain she was trustworthy. It's just he had never shared these kind of emotions with anyone. Looking up at Elizabeth and seeing the comforting smile she was directing towards him, he felt invincible. Elizabeth Gardiner was his strength.

"When I was younger I had this friend named George Wickham. He didn't come from a very rich family, but he was very smart and when it was time for us to go off to Cambridge my father offered to pay for George's schooling; hoping that he would be giving him a small push at improving his lot in life. However, by our third year George got involved with some very bad people and started doing drugs and throwing away his studies. When my father found out about George's behavior he cut him off. George dropped out of school and from word on the street was still involved with his drug friends.. I finished law school when I was 23 and my father was excited to get me into the firm. " Darcy paused to take a moment to think about how he would phrase the next part. It was quickly becoming difficult to breath and Elizabeth could see him struggling to proceed. Doing something that her Jane would do when she was having a hard time with things, Elizabeth walked from behind her desk and pulled the chair next to Darcy's closer. She reached out and took his hand in hers.

Darcy looked up when he saw her sit next to him; he was surprised when she grabbed his hand. She was comforting him; no one has ever done something so compassionate towards him before. Her small delicate fingers were warm and she was rubbing her thumb along the lower part of his palm. Looking into her eyes he saw it, the woman he would love for the rest of his life.

"I was sent me to the U.S to set up the branch here in San Francisco. A month after, I received a phone call from my uncle; Richard's father, someone had broken into our home and vandalized everything" Darcy's voice cracked, causing Elizabeth's heart to drop. She saw tears glazing over his eyes and the hand she held was now trembling. Elizabeth wanted to say something, but the pause Darcy was taking scared her, she needed to let him get through his inner struggles.

"Elizabeth…they murder my father" Darcy said in a whisper, tears now falling down his face. "Georgie was fourteen years old and I have spent the last four years trying to put those horrible people behind bars. Now she's gone and I don't know how to get her back. Please Elizabeth, I need your help… she is the only piece of my family I have left" was the last thing Darcy said. He could no longer speak with all the emotions running through him. He never let anyone see him cry, but Elizabeth had to know why all this meant so much to him.

Elizabeth didn't know why, but the second she saw Darcy's tears fall she stood up and sat herself down in Darcy's lap pulling his head to her shoulder. She felt Darcy wrap his hands around her waist and pull her closer to him, feeling like he was holding on for dear life.

Feeling Elizabeth's small body on his lap and her hands sliding behind his neck to push his head on her shoulder made every wall of his pain come crashing down and he cried even harder. Darcy had never felt this kind of comfort; Elizabeth was the most solid form of peace and he realized he could never live his life without her. So he wrapped his arms around her waist and clung to her, hoping that one day she would realize how much this moment meant to him. He was in love with Elizabeth Gardiner he finally admitted to himself.

When she felt Darcy's grip around her loosen she decided to speak.

"Was it Lotus that murdered your father?" She asked voice soft and cautious; scared she might trigger an anger switch inside him.

"Yes, Wickham is one of the leaders of Lotus and he took revenge on my father for cutting him off, and now with Georgie because I have been trying to bring Justice to my father's murder. I've been chasing after Lotus for years, when I finally managed to put Mr. Denny in prison, I thought I was doing something good; it cost me my sister" Darcy confessed pulling back from Elizabeth and leaning against the back of the chair, keeping one hand on Elizabeth's lower back and the other holding one of hers.

"I'm going to help you" Elizabeth replied firmly looking into Darcy's eyes with determination. She saw his sorrow filled face turn into one of hope.

Darcy didn't expect Elizabeth to help him after his behavior at the restaurant, he wasn't telling her about his father because he wanted her to fill sorry for him, but none of that mattered to her. The look in her eyes was pure and he could see she genuinely cared. When she turned her face to him, he was lost in her eyes; the lush green forest surrounded him and pulled him in. He removed his hands from Elizabeth's waist and raised them to her face placing one on each side of her cheeks. Slowly bringing his face closer, he could feel her breath on his lips.

Elizabeth felt Darcy's hands on her face and her eyes never left his. Before she knew it he was so close to her she thought he could hear her heart pounding through her chest. He was going to kiss her. Was this something she wanted? Yes, Darcy was handsome, he was sincere in apology and he just poured his heart out to her. Why was she thinking so hard about it? Could it have been because she has never kissed a guy in her whole life and now the one opportunity she got was with possibly the most handsome man in the world and she was shaking with fear? It wasn't that she didn't want to kiss him, she knew that she did, she was scared, a feeling she didn't feel too often and it was turning her stomach in circles. He was so close to her, how was she going to extricate herself from this intimate situation without hurting him?

Her rescue came in the form of a loud beeping noise coming from her computer. Pulling back from Darcy she stood up and walked to her desk. After double checking the information in front of her she smiled.

"Oh my shit I did it" She whispered to herself.

Darcy was a bit embarrassed watching Elizabeth walk away towards her desk. They were only a second from kissing and he could have sworn he saw panic in her eyes. Any other woman would have taken that opportunity without hesitation, but Elizabeth didn't. He started wondering if Elizabeth felt anything towards him. After rethinking the whole situation through he realized that maybe the beeping coming from her computer was a sign that regardless of his feelings towards her, things would not work out. She was so young; it would be like he was taking advantage of her. But he had tried the whole not thinking about Elizabeth idea and it didn't work; he loved her. Looking over to her at the computer, he saw her smile and mutter something under her breath.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, fixing his mask in place to hide the turmoil running through him.

"Uh, yes everything is fine. I …uh just had some break through with a project I've been working on" Elizabeth replied, trying to be a vague as possible. She quickly saved the results and pass code locked her computer, walking around to her bag and grabbing her phone. She needed to call VP Lucas immediately, but had to get Darcy out of her study. Things were completely weird between them, but that was going to have to wait to be addressed; there were more important issue at hand with The Compound.

"Maybe we should go back downstairs, Jane and Charlie are probably wondering what happened to us" She suggested, "Plus, my ice cream is all melted" hoping that a small sidebar comment would lighten the mood.

"Uh, yeah you're absolutely right. Here let me take it down for you" Darcy offered, a little upset that they were going back down stairs; he would have liked to stay there alone with her. Darcy scolded himself for being so weak; he needed to avoid these kinds of urges. Picking up the bowl of melted ice cream he walked towards the door.

"Are you coming?" He turned and questioned Elizabeth.

"Yeah, I'll be right there I just have to make a quick phone call" Elizabeth replied trying to keep her voice steady. She watched him nod and turn to walk out the door when she called out.

"Uh, Darcy" She spoke, "Thank You… for the ice cream and for trusting me enough… you know with your, uh… your past. I'll try my best to help you find your sister" she finished with a sympathetic smile pointed at Darcy. For some odd reason she was going to say heart. She had no idea what she was thinking.

"No, thank you Elizabeth. I do not deserve your forgiveness or help, but I am grateful for both" Darcy replied, although his mask was on his heart was smiling in gratitude. Elizabeth really had no idea the effect she had on him.

When Darcy left the room Elizabeth felt her heart do something very unfamiliar; she felt like a piece of it had been ripped out. Was it because Darcy left? She asked herself. It couldn't be that she just met the guy, and ok, so they had an almost kiss moment, but they didn't kiss and that was the bottom line. She had to throw those thoughts in a box right now; the call to VP Lucas was still waiting to be made. Picking up the phone she hit the speed dial number and placed the phone on her ear.

"What's up Eli?" Charlotte's voice on the other end spoke after two rings.

"I finished my errands and can meet you at the party tonight" Elizabeth said into the receiver sticking to protocol and referring to meeting up at The Compound as a party. Her heart was pounding waiting for Charlotte's reply.

"That is wonderful news, I'll see you at the party in 45minutes" Charlotte replied voice completely calm, but she was very anxious to see the files contents.

"See you there" Elizabeth replied and hung up her phone.

She quickly packed up everything she needed and walked to her room to get out of the clothes she had been wearing since last night. After taking a quick shower and dressing some in light peach skinnys, and a plain gap favorite white tee, and a large knit sweater (1), she grabbed her sling bag and descended the stairs.

When she walked into the living room Jane, Charlie and Darcy all turned towards her. She knew Jane wasn't going to like that she was leaving, but she had no choice.

"Something really important came up at the office. Entire system shut down and I really need to be there" She lied knowing Jane and Charlie knew that excuse meant she was going to The Compound.

Darcy looked at her dressed and ready to leave the house and he felt like he had done something wrong. Did she really have to leave? When he came down from her study, yes things were a little awkward because of the intimate moment they had, but he thought they were at least on friendlier terms.

Jane stared narrowly at her sister trying to figure out why she was abruptly leaving at 10 o'clock at night. She knew all about the Lotus file and from the look Elizabeth was giving her she now knew that Elizabeth was not going back to her own office, but to The Compound. Jane was worried; the last time Elizabeth was pulled into Compound business she was dragged back to Massachusetts for 3 months, Jane didn't want to lose her again. Charlie didn't know much about Elizabeth's recent dealings with The Compound, but he had heard the excuse before so he just assumed to let Jane handle her sister on this one and agree with whatever his wife decided.

"Bugs," Jane said getting up and walking towards Elizabeth, when she was only inches from Elizabeth's face Jane grabbed her and pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, "please be careful. You'll tell me what happens?"

"As always sissy. I'm sorry for leaving like this, but if it helps Darcy apologized and I've forgiven him. So you better too" Elizabeth said pulling away from Jane and winking at her.

"Sorry about leaving again bro, but duty calls" Elizabeth said walking towards Charlie and placing her usual kiss on her Brother in law's cheek.

"No problem Bugs, just be safe and return home to sleep in _your_ bed would you?" Charlie teased. He hated seeing Elizabeth so wrapped up in her work that she hardly had time for a normal life.

"Sure thing bro" Elizabeth replied pulling back from him and walking to Darcy. As she got closer she started to get nervous and her go to rescue when she was nervous was to bite her lip and start fidgeting with her hands; which was what she was doing at this moment.

Darcy watched Elizabeth walk towards him, her fingers intertwined and moving rapidly. He looked up at her face and in an instant his eyes turned dark. There in front of him was possibly the one thing that drove him crazy. Elizabeth biting her bottom lip and cheeks red with blush. How was it that this woman had that kind of pull over him and she wasn't doing anything purposely to get his attention? He felt it, every single part of his body was tense with desire.

"I'm sorry about leaving so suddenly. I never asked you before, you know upstairs, but I was wondering if you… uh, since we're starting over, I was wondering if you wanted to be friends?" Elizabeth finally blurted out; cursing herself for finally having the silly teenage emotions every girl went through kick in. Could they have come at a more horrible time? She thought to herself.

"I would like that very much Elizabeth" Darcy didn't know how he felt about Elizabeth's request. He wanted to be more than friends, he want her; every single part of her, all to himself. It was a selfish thought, but it was the truth. So friendship was not what his end game was, but it was a start; anything that kept him on Elizabeth's good side was better than her hating him.

Elizabeth held out her hand for Darcy to seal the deal, but when his hand touched hers she felt a small jolt rush up her arm and she pulled her hand back a little too quickly to be considered polite. Looking into Darcy's eyes she saw they were dark and flooded with passion. She gave him a quick awkward smile then turned and walked towards the door, giving Jane and Charlie her usual salute of goodbye before she walked out. When she hopped inside Rico she was confused about her relationship with Darcy, did she want them to just be friends or was she just forcing their relationship into that level to avoid it from progressing to something very unfamiliar to her? The entire drive to the compound was filled with thoughts of Darcy. Every thought made her realize she was more confused than ever. There was only one thing she was absolutely certain of, life with Darcy was getting complicated.

Links In Profile:

(1)Elizabeth's Outfit going to The Compound


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Director's In Town**

Stepping out of the elevator leading down to The Compound, Elizabeth was all calm and relaxed on the outside, but completely restless on the inside. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she had decrypted the Lotus file and was minutes from finding out what would happen next.

The floor of agents was hectic; everyone was rushing about in a way Elizabeth had never seen. It was late so she assumed all the craziness was due to the fact that she was now holding in her briefcase very important information on the Lotus case. VP Lucas had probably informed The Compound of the decrypted file and called for all hands on deck. She couldn't help but think that one day, one of these desks will belong to her. Elizabeth's heart was pounding faster with every step she took closer to the VP's office. The door was open so she lightly tapped the glass and walked right in, glancing towards the desk her eyes stopped on a figure perched on the corner causing her to step back in surprise.

"Mom? What? Uh?" Elizabeth question, confused as to how her mother had gotten to San Francisco so quickly when she was suppose to be in Washington.

"Lizzy, I flew in earlier today. Chase informed me you were having one of your moments and I decided it was best to leave you to it" Maddy said to her daughter closing the space between them and wrapping her arms around Elizabeth.

"I would have stopped for you, how's Papa?" Elizabeth asked settling herself down in the chair her mother offered her.

"He misses his daughter of course, I'm sorry for being secretive about the Lotus files Lizzy. Your father and I have talked about all of this agency business and although we do not want you becoming an agent you are old enough to make your own decisions. So, I thought that if you were able to help decrypt this file then maybe you could work towards becoming a more permanent fixture here at The Compound with a more stationary position." Maddy told her daughter, hoping that Elizabeth would understand why things were done the way they were and that they really didn't mind her being at The Compound; they just didn't want her out in the field.

"Stationary? As in behind a desk?" Elizabeth knew exactly what her mother was getting at and was in no way going to except. She wanted to be a field operative more than anything; she was one of the most qualified for the job intellectually, maybe she couldn't fight as aggressively as some of the agents she knew, but that was just a small obstacle that she could overcome with the proper training.

"Lizzy, please you are the most brilliant person I know. Your knowledge and talents will benefit both agencies more if you are in the tech department" Maddy said leaning forward in her seat to reason with her daughter. She knew Elizabeth's temper well and from the way her eyes were squinting and the heavy breaths she was taking, she could see that Elizabeth was seconds from losing it.

"Mom, I just did something that no one from either agency could do, don't you think I at least deserve a chance?" Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and let her neck roll back and rest on the edge of the chair. Her eyes were closed trying to calm her anger; seeing her opportunity for becoming a field agent slipping out the door.

Maddy knew her daughter did amazing on the Ray mission, but she was just so young. Her entire life was still ahead of her and having spent her entire teenage years in labs and behind computers; she wanted her daughter to have a chance at life, as a normal person. Eddie would never say no to any of Elizabeth's desires, so she was all alone in her efforts to try and keep her daughter her little girl for as long as she could. Elizabeth was the most important element in both her and Eddie's lives; losing her would be unbearable.

"Elizabeth, I will make you a deal. You will work as lead for logistics on this case, but that is all. The only way I will even contemplate approving any application for field agent status is if you are able to complete all four levels of operative training before your 20th birthday in four months" Maddy knew it took a year for all four levels to be properly completed, but Elizabeth wasn't just any wannabe field agent; no she would finish the courses in half the time, but four months that was just impossible. By giving her these restraints Maddy hope that her daughter would find cramming everything into a four month period too stressful and give up the idea of becoming and agent.

Elizabeth's eyes widen in surprise, she did not expect her mother to give in easily.

"Deal. Now let's discuss this file shall we?" She said making sure to change the subject before her mother changed her mind.

"Let me first say how proud I am of you Elizabeth" Maddy said, Elizabeth's skills never seized to amaze her. "You have done in four days what none of the other diagnostics techs were able to accomplish. So on behalf of the U.s and most importantly as your mother, thank you" She finished giving her daughter a warm smile and placing her hand on Elizabeth's arm she gave a slight squeeze and rose to guide them into the conference room.

Elizabeth was always proud to the Director's daughter, but what she was feeling right now was more than proud; she felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have a mother who never neglected or mistreated her. Following her mother into the large conference room she walked in and saw VP Lucas and two other people she had never met before and to her surprise her newest engineer at S.A.I.A Mrs. Parker.

"Elizabeth of course you know VP Lucas and Agent Parker, but this is Agent Wilson and Agent Trent" Maddy said, introducing the two figures in the room she knew Elizabeth had never met. "Agent Wilson, Agent Trent this is my daughter Elizabeth and she is the one responsible for decrypting the Lotus file".

Both gentlemen rose from their seats at the conference table and walked over to greet Elizabeth. Agent Trent was a well built man in his late twenties, his dirty blonde hair complemented his light brown eyes and the well tailored suit he wore made it clear he was proud of the toned body hidden underneath. His partner was dress very similar, but he was twice the size of Agent Trent, the only word Elizabeth knew to characterize him was a gym monster. He looked as if her were going to rip out of his suit if he moved the wrong way; the man could probably crush her with his bare hands.

"Miss Gardiner it is nice to finally meet you. I've used a few of you devices and I must say they are absolutely remarkable" Agent Trent said reaching his hand out to shake Elizabeth's. He was stunned when he saw the young woman walk in behind the Director; he knew exactly who she was before introductions having heard about the Director's beautiful daughter from the gossip that flew around the office. He had to admit the pictures he had seen did not do her justice; she was far more gorgeous in person.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Trent, thank you for the complement" Elizabeth said with a smile before turning to greet the other man approaching her.

"Agent Wilson" Elizabeth said extending her hand towards the man.

"Miss Gardiner, I look forward to working with you" Agent Wilson said shaking the small hand that was in front of him. Unlike his partner, while he noticed Elizabeth was a beautiful woman, he knew this was entirely business and kept his expressions polite and professional as opposed to Agent Trent's puppy dog eyes of admiration

After making her greetings with the gentlemen Elizabeth turned to Maria sitting on the same side of the table as agent Wilson and Agent Trent.

"Maria, you can imagine my surprise at seeing you here?" Elizabeth said somewhat coldly, fearing that Maria was playing spy for her mother. Elizabeth walked to the chair next to Charlotte and took her seat; positioned directly across from Maria who was flanked by both agents.

"Lizzy, Agent Parker is the original logistics Agent assigned to the case. She has been an agent here for some time, but now that you are here you will take the lead is that understood?" Maddy said, feeling her daughter's cold greeting. Elizabeth cringed, one look from her mother was enough to make her nod her head in understanding and put aside her anger for the moment.

"Let's begin. Earlier this evening my daughter decrypted the Lotus file, I have not yet seen its contents so I will give the floor to you Lizzy to present the file" Maddy said nodding her head to her daughter for her to proceed.

Clearing her throat Elizabeth stood and removed her laptop from her briefcase. Feeling everyone's eye watching her she wasn't the least bit nervous; her whole life she had to deal with people watching her explain how her devices worked so this situation was no different in her opinion. She took her laptop and wired it to the main system now allowing the screens position around the room and monitors located in from of each individual seat to display everything on her desktop. It just so happened that her desktop wallpaper was the photo her mother took of her, Jane and Charlie on a park bench after her graduation ceremony from MIT. Everyone in the room raised their eyebrows and grinned slightly at the image plastered on every screen in the room.

"Uh, just ignore the photo in front of you and please focus your attention on this" Elizabeth said clicking open the Lotus file for everyone to look at. "As you can see after running the file through the decryption program I wrote, the file reviewed personal information of two men, all with address here in the United States. Which I thought was a bit odd considering Lotus is an international group of criminals, so I ran the most basic detection program and found that there was a hidden file hiding basically in plain sight". Elizabeth said hands in the air and head shaking with an expression of being surprised at how genius it was to hide the file somewhere no one would think to look because it was too obvious. "Well once I ran the hidden file through the decryption program I found this" she said clicking open the file and waiting for everyone to catch up with her.

"These two men are American members of Lotus" Charlotte spoke for the first time since Elizabeth entered the room.

"That's correct, but the most interesting part is that while both these men are considerably wealthy, they have no criminal record. So the question is what would they gain by helping Lotus branch out on U.S soil?" Elizabeth asked making eye contact with everyone in the room.

"Excellent work sweetheart" Maddy said she knew Elizabeth would be able to crack the file; her only hesitation was boosting her interest in the agency. "Agent Parker would you pull up everything we have on the two gentlemen in the file" she said hoping to find the answer to Elizabeth's question; one that she herself was wondering.

Elizabeth didn't mind when her mother called her those warm loving nicknames at home, but bringing it into the office was a whole other story; she wanted people to see her as the professional she was. They would never see her out of her mother's shadow in the agency if she was constantly being called Lizzie or Sweetheart. Elizabeth just didn't have the heart to tell her mother this. Maddy had coddled her from infancy and it was hard for her when she went on the Ray mission, Elizabeth knew she scared her parents; maybe letting her mother have this little sentimental note was the only way to assure her that she will always be her daughter.

"The first is, Andrew Blake; the owner of Blake Automotives, which has two major locations. One in Michigan and one in Texas, where he is currently living with his wife and two daughters ages 5 and 2" Maria said pulling up Mr. Blake's files to the main screen. "The other is Jason Cartier, he comes from old money; his grandfather founded the Cartier foundation for children, leading to his father opening the four Cartier hospital branches. Mr. Cartier got a little too happy with the family money and bought himself a country club. The Cartier Country Club in Massachusetts, where he currently resides with his young trophy wife" Maria finished putting a picture of Mr. Cartier's wife on the screen.

"Blake is out of the country overseeing his off shore investments, so that leaves Cartier as our target" Agent Wilson said looking at the information presented, trying to find which of the two they would tail to find the next lead.

"If we're gonna ping Cartier then we have two options, either get him through the hospital or through his country club" Agent Trent added.

"Well there we go, Agent Parker pull up Cartier's information regarding the Country Club. My husband and I are members and we never miss the first Sunday brunch every month, so there's our window. There are two days before the first Sunday. We need to get the tracker on Cartier's laptop and bug his office. VP Lucas the mission design is in your hands, I want a briefing in 20 minutes. I'll leave you all to it" Maddy said leaving the room.

Everyone remaining in the room looked to Charlotte for her mission outline. Charlotte stood and walked to the head of the table taking her tablet and syncing it to the system. Showing on the screen was a blue print of the club and a rough list of needed tech support.

"Here we see Mr. Cartier's office is located on the third floor at the end of the hall. Our mission is to tap into the security feed, loop it for two minutes; giving us a minute of travel time to get to and into the office, 30 seconds inside and the last 30 seconds to make a clean get away. Agent Wilson, you will take lead, while Agent Trent covers. Agent Maria you will be logistics in the van and Eli you are going to be a good girl and attend brunch with your parents, but you will be our eyes on the floor. Now we'll need a tracker to be placed under his laptop's battery and then we need to place a bug in his office, preferably somewhere housekeeping won't find it " Charlotte was finished and now looking at the other four people in the room for questions.

"Looking at the security system in place, the office is secured with a pass code that needs to be cracked on spot. Agent Wilson, are you familiar with using the Opal Device?" Elizabeth asked, having realized that the office is locked using a strong security system much like the one she has designed, so she knows how difficult it would be to crack the pass code in a 10 second window. The Opal Device is her personal creation that can be use to break the code to almost anything as long as you know what you are doing.

"I'm afraid I am not, It has only been acquired just recently by the agency" Agent Wilson replied never even seeing the Opal Device before.

"And you Agent Trent?" Elizabeth asked hoping his answer would be the opposite of his partner's.

"No, I've never even heard of it" Agent Trent answered, completely at a loss to what Elizabeth's point was.

"No offense gentlemen, but you have a 10 second window to crack this password, and the Opal Device is the only way to do that, but this isn't some just plug and go device there are technical rewiring and hashes that need to be configured. With that kind of window brute-force cracking isn't going to cut it" Elizabeth said in one breath, noticing the jaws of everyone in the room dropping.

"Elizabeth is right VP Lucas, it takes months to learn the how to use the device, trying to teach Agent Wilson to use it in 2 days is impossible" Maria interrupted.

"I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out" Agent Wilson's pride was speaking now, he wasn't at all advance when it came to technology, but he was sure a simple run through would be all it took for him to understand the device.

"Really, so your saying that in ten seconds you can unscrew the panel, rewire the device into the system then crack the hash using the lookup tables uploaded into the device, hoping you choose the correct on out of over a million entries depending on the mapping being transmitted from the system?" Elizabeth asked a bit offended that Agent Wilson would think her device so simple a mere test run would allow him to understand it. Both Agent Wilson and Trent gave her the most confused faces she had ever seen. There was no way humanly possible for them to be able to accomplish this mission even if they had an hour to get in and the cameras were turned off. "VP Lucas, the only way I can think of that will get that tracker and bug planted in the allotted time is if someone who knows how to use the Opal does it. Seeing as though the only two people who have any experience with the device are Maria and myself…"

"Oh no, not in a million years. Agent Parker, where are you with handling the device?" VP Lucas interrupted, there was no way she was going to let Elizabeth become that active in the mission.

"Nowhere near being able to get that password cracked in 10 seconds, I've barely scratched the surface in understanding 1/8 of the codes in the device. There is no way I'll understand the outputted hash mapping enough to have the right table chosen in my first 20 guesses" Maria admitted knowing that it would take her 30 seconds alone to get the rewiring and device connected. There was no was she was going to be able to lead this mission. She was more of behind the scenes kind of agent.

"So what you all are saying is I have four people in front of me right now; three of which are agents and the only one of you four that can accomplish this mission is the one that is not allowed to participate" Charlotte yelled, her agitation with her agents reaching its breaking point.

The room was silent and Elizabeth sat there with a smug look of victory. The only way this mission was going to be a success was if she was the one using the device. Coming into this meeting she thought all she would have to do was logistics behind a desk, but now she was the only qualified person who could break into the office. Oh she was having a celebration party on the inside.

"So, should I inform the Director or will you?" Elizabeth asked Charlotte her smile never leaving her face.

"Shit!" Charlotte exclaimed there was no other option; the Director was going to chew her head off before she even finished the mission briefing, this she was sure of."Agent Wilson you will be her back up, Agent Trent and Agent Parker you two will be on watch. The three of you are excused to map out the route Elizabeth will take to get to the office and set up a mission run through on level 2. Elizabeth is going to need a tranq-gun and fitted ear piece. Dismissed" Charlotte order, turning to Elizabeth to make sure they were on the same page before they walked into the Director's office.

Elizabeth was packing up her belongings when Charlotte spoke.

"Eli, before we see your mother, just promise me you'll let me do all the talking" Charlotte pleaded knowing that the moment they walked in the office Elizabeth would basically demand that she take lead operative in the mission.

"Fine, but if she says no more than once, I'm going to resort to convincing her in my own way" Elizabeth threatened, there was no way she wasn't going to be denied this opportunity to prove herself to her mother.

Elizabeth and Charlotte walked into Maddy's office and seated themselves in the chairs in front of her desk.

"That mission design took longer than I expected VP Lucas, I hope Lizzie wasn't giving you too much trouble" Maddy said with a small grin.

"Actually Director it seems we have run into a bit of a roadblock" Charlotte said, trying to ease her way into this suicide conversation.

"And what could that be?" Maddy said, her eye brows and curiosity rose at Elizabeth's uncharacteristic silence.

"The security system at the Country Club is state of the art and the only person that can use the Opal Device to get into the office and carry out the mission objectives is the person sitting to my left" Charlotte said, her face straight and serious. She watched as the Directors featured shifted; she was pissed.

"Absolutely not!" Maddy spat, Elizabeth was not going to be put in danger while she was down stair with her husband pretending to enjoy brunch.

"With all due respect Director, there is no other way to get that door unlocked without using the Opal device and it is far too advance for the other three agents. Elizabeth is the only qualified person who can get the door opened in ten seconds, which is already cutting it close in our time window" Charlotte explained, if there was another option she would have taken it in a heartbeat.

"Lizzie is not doing it" Maddy declared, that was the second time she said no according to Elizabeth's count so now she was able to speak.

"You have been chasing Lotus for months, now you get your first lead and you're willing to just throw it away?" Elizabeth countered.

"For my daughter's safety yes" Maddy was fuming from head to toe.

"And what about the millions of Americans' that you have sworn to protect?" Elizabeth knew this would get her mother; guilt trip always work.

"Elizabeth Marie, don't you dare go there. I made a promise to serve my country, but not at the cost of putting my daughter in danger" Maddy was speaking as a mother now and Elizabeth knew she was serious because she used her full name.

"Mom, I can do this; please let me do this. You will be downstairs the entire time and the security feeds will be tapped over. No one will ever know it was me. All I'm asking if for these two minutes to prove myself. Please. Let me help" Elizabeth pleaded, her voice becoming as soft as a whisper near the end of her speech. She could see it, her mother was caving.

Maddy knew he daughter was right, she was capable of doing this; it just scared her to death to know her daughter was putting herself in danger. She was neck deep in this Lotus case and this had been their first lead in months, they need to get the tracker on Cartier and the sooner the better.

"Fine, but I want to be connected to the coms the entire time, is that clear?" Maddy said firmly. If Elizabeth was going to be doing this she at least would be able to hear everything that was going on during the mission.

Elizabeth stood up quickly and ran around her mother's desk, throwing her arms around her when she reached her.

"I promise I will not let you down mom" Elizabeth said in her mother's ear.

"You never do Lizzie" Maddy replied, her heart sinking at the thought of what she had just agreed to.

* * *

It was 7:00 am when Elizabeth walked into entrance hall of the Bingley house. She was exhausted. After the mission run through trials and the tranq-gun practice Agent Wilson had vigorously worked her through, the only thing on her mind was her bed. Thinking she would just grab a snack before she went up to her room, she walked in the kitchen.

"Bugs, you look completely drained, can I make you some breakfast?" Jane offered her sister; it killed her every time she saw Elizabeth consumed with exhaustion.

"No thanks, I'm just going to grab a pack of cheese crackers and head up" Elizabeth said while placing a kiss on her sister and brother in laws cheeks. Seeing Darcy sitting at the breakfast table she gave him the best smile she had strength to form and then turned to head for her room. Before she walked out of the kitchen she remembered the mission in two days and turned back around. Everyone in the kitchen eyes were pinned on her and she now had their attention.

"Maddy flew in yesterday and wants me to fly back with her to have Sunday brunch with her and Eddie at the Club. So just a heads up I'm leaving in tomorrow and should be back by dinner Monday" Elizabeth said, too tired to wait for everyone's reaction, she turned and walked up the stairs to her room.

Confusion was written all over Jane's face, the last time Elizabeth left back to Massachusetts was to be grounded; she hated first Sunday brunch at the club, but here she was saying she was going. It definitely had to do with The Compound. As much as she wanted to push the issue, seeing how tired Elizabeth looked told her to leave it for when she got home from work.

Sleep did not come easy for Darcy last night; he was worried that Elizabeth wasn't home yet. Her sudden departure the evening before left his mind running full speed all night. When he saw her walk into the kitchen looking so weak and fragile, he wanted to rush over to her and pick her up; taking her straight to his bed to rest. He couldn't get the image of her in his bed out of his head that was until she said that she was leaving in tomorrow. He needed her, even if she didn't need him; she was the only bit of hope he had left for any kind of happiness in the future. She was his hope to find Georgie, to bring Lotus down and most importantly, to have someone he could give his heart to; someone to love.

* * *

**A/N:** Just cause it's my birthday here's a present for those who are reading. Thanks for the encouraging comments, hope you enjoy. Oh and thank you for the birthday wishes. Again, sorry for grammar and typo errors.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: A Confusing Good Bye**

"Why do you really have to go?" Jane asked Elizabeth while they were washing the dishes from dinner.

" I'll give you the details when I get back, but I know you already know it's not for the Club's Sunday brunch" Elizabeth whispered, she didn't want Darcy to know she was going on a mission regarding Lotus.; he'll probably freak out and interfere by following her. There was no way she was going to jeopardize this mission. She needed to prove herself to her mother and most importantly she wanted to get more information on Lotus so she could help Darcy. She didn't know what it was about him, but for some odd reason she wanted to protect him; keep him safe and because he had a strange pull on her that she didn't understand..

Jane stopped drying the dishes and turned to her sister.

"I don't need particulars right now; I just want to know what you've gotten yourself into. I made a promise to never lose you again; we've spent 13 years without each other. If there is a possibility that whatever you are going to Massachusetts for is dangerous I want to know" Jane demanded trying to keep her voice low and steady so neither Charlie nor Darcy would be able to hear from the living room.

"The president of the club, Mr. Cartier is connected to Lotus, but we aren't sure how. I need to get a tracker on him and bug the office, that's it. The team will watch my back the entire time and Maddy and Eddie will be downs stairs" Elizabeth explained taking her sister's hand in hers trying to ease her worry.

"Why do you have to do it? Aren't there agents that can handle all that? You're young; your entire life is just beginning. Being with the agency is dangerous. I'm going to be honest; I don't want you involved in field work. I can barely handle that you make hi-tech spy gear. I know all this is supposed to be confidential and top secret and the fact that you still tell me everything means a lot Bugs. I am just always worried about you." Jane was pleading with her sister. Elizabeth was young, rich and very successful; she didn't understand why she wanted to submerge herself in such a dangerous lifestyle when she had the whole world at her finger tips.

Elizabeth finished the dishes and sat herself down in a stool behind the island with Jane standing on the other side looking directly at her for a response.

"Jane, I love you more than I can ever show or tell you; you and Charlie are the only two people other than my parents that I would trust with my life. I want to do this; it's like some weird way of me repaying life for giving us a second chance. If I could save one life it will mean everything; but this is bigger than that, there are really bad people trying to do bad things in our Country and I have the chance to stop them. I can't walk away, please don't ask me to walk away" Elizabeth was as raw as truth could be. Jane needed a reason and she gave it to her.

Jane didn't know what to say to Elizabeth, she was the smartest person she knew and she never did anything at a spur of the moment. She had to trust her decision to do this, but it didn't mean she wouldn't stop worrying about her. Realizing there were no words to express her feelings without making Elizabeth feel like she didn't have her support, Jane walked around the kitchen island and hugged her sister tightly.

* * *

Darcy couldn't sleep, he felt like Elizabeth was avoiding him since he had gotten back from the office. Dinner was surrounded around very general topics and then she just went up to bed after cleaning up with Jane. She was definitely avoiding him. He tossed and turned, but couldn't sleep. Looking at the clock he shut his eyes and brought his hands to his forehead in irritation; 3:30 am, he stood up and decided to go to the library and try and exhaust himself with a book. Grabbing his zip up hoodie from the chair he walked out into the hall dressed in black pajama pants and the hoodie(1). The hall was pitch black, but as he turn the corner where the two wings of the house met like a fork in the road that combined at the stair case there was a door left slightly open and the light from the room streamed into the hall. Darcy thought that may be someone left the light on by accident and so he walked towards the light to turn it off. Opening the door and fully stepping into the room his eyes met with Elizabeth's, who was seated behind the piano by the French doors that led to the balcony.

"I'm so sorry; did I forget to close that door again?" Elizabeth asked, a bit startled when she saw Darcy walk in looking pissed off.

"No, I was just walking in the hall and thought someone had left the light on, I should apologize for intruding" Darcy said, he was surprised to see the person that made it impossible for him to sleep. Walking closer to the piano he saw that she was dressed in a lace and cotton night gown covered by a cotton robe with matching lace trimming the ends which stopped mid thigh (2), but since she was sitting on the piano stool it was a little higher than that exposing creamy silk skin that made Darcy's mouth begin to water. He snapped himself out of his daze and raised his eyes to meet Elizabeth's.

"I always forget to close the door, it's just being on this wing of the house no one really hears any of my late night playing. I hope I didn't wake you?" Elizabeth said her eyes roaming over Darcy's face and down his neck, stopping when she saw his hoodie was only zippered up halfway revealing the upper part of his bare chest. She couldn't help but flush red at how defined and inviting it looked. Averting her eyes she bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ivory keys in front of her. All night she was trying to avoid Darcy, and now here he was in all his sexy glory alone with her.

"Actually I couldn't sleep and was headed to the library, but I wouldn't mind staying to keep you company and maybe hear you play. That is… if you don't mind?" Darcy replied, he couldn't believe his boldness. When he saw her biting her lip he knew there was no way in hell he was going to walk out of that room without at least attempting to get closer to those lips.

"oh, uh… I mean if you don't mind the loss of hearing that will follow because of my horrible playing, you're welcomed to stay" Elizabeth went to her go to method of teasing to get her out of awkward situations. The way Darcy was looking at her, she knew wasn't the look of disgust; it was quite opposite and as scared as she was to admit it, the feelings coursing inside her were probably identical to his. Nodding her head to the settee to the right of her, she offered Darcy a seat that allowed him to see her perfectly, but kept him out of her view when she looked at the sheet music in front of her.

"I'm sure you're exaggerating Elizabeth. Although I've not heard of your musical talents from Jane or Charles, I'll bet you play just as well as you execute anything else I've had the pleasure of seeing you do" Darcy sat down on the settee, eyes fixed on the image of tempting beauty before him.

"I guess I'll just have to let you judge for yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you" she replied a grin twitching at the corners of her mouth. Turning back to the sheet music in front of her, she flipped through her book before she found her favorite piece, Ludovico Einaudi's_ Nuvole Bianche_(3). Taking a second to focus, as her mother had taught her, she exhaled and began the piece.

Darcy's eyes were pinned to Elizabeth; from where he was sitting he was able to get a perfect profile view from the top of her head down to her bare feet that were resting on the pedals. Elizabeth has always been the definition of gorgeousness in his eyes, but the sight of her at the piano playing such beautiful music made her a goddess like none other. Her fingers slid across the keys effortlessly and the way she stared at the sheet music in complete focus was evidence enough that Elizabeth was far too modest to realize how accomplished she was. Darcy was in a trance and before his mind could catch up with his body he was already walking towards the piano stool where Elizabeth sat focused on the music she was playing. He sat down on next to her his leg and arm slightly touching the side of her body.

Elizabeth was startled when she felt Darcy sit down next to her, had she not known the song by heart, she would have faltered. She could feel his eyes piercing the sides of her face and her cheeks became hot. He was sitting so close to her that the warmth of his body transferred to hers from where their legs and arms were very lightly touching. Her heart was beating like she had just finished a marathon, the song she was playing had ended and her eyes stayed fixed on the sheets before her; too scared to look at Darcy.

Darcy did not even notice Elizabeth's playing had ended and they now sat in silence, the only thing he was thinking about was the smell of plumeria seeping through his entire body, the beautiful sight of Elizabeth's blush stained cheeks and watching her chest rise and fall so rapidly. He wanted her to look at him, but she refused; her eyes were glued to the sheet music. He could not take her avoidance any longer and using two fingers he placed them lightly under her chin and turned her face towards him. She didn't resist, but her eyes did not meet his.

"Elizabeth, please look at me" Darcy spoke, voice as soft as a whisper. When she did not, he begged "please…?" When she finally looked into his eyes, he saw confusion maybe even a bit of fear.

"Are you afraid of me?" Darcy asked very gently, he would never want Elizabeth to fear him; he only want to love her.

Elizabeth shook her head no dropping her eyes back down to the exposed, skin visible through his open hoodie. That was definitely not what she needed to see right now. Her whole body was becoming warm and the hard pounding against her chest was not helping the situation either. She heard Darcy's voice and it brought her out of her state of sexy Greek godlike chest examination.

"Why will you not look at me?" He asked in the tenderest voice she had ever heard from him. She closed her eyes trying to fight the boiling hot feeling running through her body. Never had she felt anything like this in her life, it made her wonder, how deeps was she attracted to Darcy? Was it just a physical thing? She though hundreds of men were attractive, but never felt the need to be near them. No, this thing with Darcy was something deeper then that. These were not feelings she had ever had before, having spent all her teenage years focused with school and developing her bugs, boys were not a subject she had experience with and Darcy was certainly not a boy. It was so easy for her to turn down offers for dates, but why couldn't she get up and walk away from Darcy? Opening her eyes she slowly raised them. What she met was his piercing blue eyes filled with desire, which was all it took; she was drowning in them.

"What are you afraid of?" Darcy asked, voice strained with fear waiting to hear Elizabeth tell him she did not feel anything towards him. She was looking at him now her eyes staring back into his. He needed her, he wanted her. Breaking away from her eyes and dropping his to her mouth, he met the one thing that broke every restraint in his body. She was biting her lip again and he broke. He raised his hand to her cheek and moved his face slowly towards hers. His eyes never left her lips, a breath away from them he lifted them to meet Elizabeth's and what he saw made him pull back immediately; her eyes were filled with tears waiting to be released.

"I am so sorry Elizabeth, I… I've made you uncomfortable. I'll leave now, please forgive me" Darcy said quickly making to leave, but a soft hand on his arm stopped him in place.

"No, please I… um, please don't go. You've done nothing wrong" her eyes were pleading with his and there was nothing he could deny her when she looked at him that way. Darcy sat back downand immediately felt when she removed her hand from his arm; the empty spot now stinging with desire to retrieve her hand back.

"Elizabeth?" He question in serious tone.

"This is possibly the most embarrassing thing I have ever had to do in my life" Elizabeth admitted breaking her eyes away from him and focusing on the instrument. She saw him stiffen through the corner of her eye and she realized that what she just said didn't come out right and she needed to fix it before he got the wrong idea. "uh, I… Well you see Darcy, I… um… shit. I really don't know how to say this because it's so humiliating considering how old I am" she said in one breath, her thoughts going at rapid speed in her head. Closing her eyes and taking a deep long breath and releasing it slowly she just went for it, "I've never kissed a guy in a way that wasn't strictly plutonic" she blurted out keeping her eyes shut to try and make believe she wasn't completely embarrassed right now.

Darcy was not expecting her to say that at all; he was fully preparing himself for rejection, but that hit him like a slap in the face. Elizabeth, the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on has never been kissed. He could not believe it. She was as innocent as she was breathtakingly beautiful and she wasn't rejecting him. He couldn't take another second of her not knowing exactly how he felt about her.

"Elizabeth, I have wanted to kiss you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met and if you do not let me kiss you right now, I will go mad with desire and walk straight up to my room and pack my bags to go stay somewhere else. I can't take being under the same roof as you and not be able to hold you like I am now or kiss you the way I have been dreaming to. I need you, Elizabeth, please" he declared, saying the last part so softly and moving closer to Elizabeth's face to lean his forehead against hers. He had all but declared his love for her, now he waited in agony for whatever reaction Elizabeth would have to his bold confession.

Darcy's lips met hers very soft and tenderly, their lips continued this dance while time flew by.

"It's been two hours already?" she exclaimed, surprised at how fast time had passed. She stood and removed herself from Darcy's lap and walked to the side of the piano to put a little space between them. Pulling her rope back in order she righted her appearance and swallowed deeply trying to avoid Darcy's eyes.

"Elizabeth, come back here" Darcy requested voice deep and seductive.

"I, uh have to be back in the office soon… um I'm really sorry um, I, uh…I don't" she said her voice low and trembling frustrated with her idiotic attempts to complete a sentence she blurted out, "Please don't ask me where we stand now because I… I don't know the answer to that". She knew things had just gotten more complicated between them; it was a scary feeling not being in control, but almost having sex can do that and she needed to get away. Separating herself from him was the only solution she could think of if she wanted to figure everything out. It was supposed to be a simple kiss, but it just escaladed into more than that; what just happened was easily the most amazing feeling she had felt in her entire life. She just wasn't ready for it.

"No, I… uh… I understand" Darcy lied; he didn't understand she was all over him and now she was apologizing for it all. He was hurt and again feeling embarrassed at how she had ended the intimate moment so abruptly.

"I should go, I guess I'll see you when I get back from visiting my parents" she said not wanting to meet the anguished expression she knew was written all over his face. With that, she turned and walked out the room, leaving Darcy sitting at the piano his face covered in hurt and confusion.

* * *

**A/N:** I have posted a _Crying For Hope (Mature Version)_ the will contain the more explicit pieces of this story. Just don't want to offend those readers who rather not read those types of things. I'll let you know every time there is a mature version of a chapter posted. It's my first time writing this kind of material so sorry ahead of time if it's horrible.

**Images and Music In Profile:**

(1) Darcy's Pjs

(2)Elizabeth's PJs

(3) Ludovico Einaudi's_ Nuvole Bianche _YouTube


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: Hometown Glory**

The Gardiner jet landed on the airstrip in Boston just before 7:00pm the Saturday before the brunch mission was to take place. Elizabeth and her mother were now on their way back to the home she had grown up in; the only real place Elizabeth actually felt safe. When the S.A.I.A laboratory opened in San Francisco, she was a little hesitant to leave home, but with Jane and Charlie there, settling in was a lot easier. Although she loved living with the Bingley's there was never a place like home, even if she was grounded 4 months ago.

The car pulled into the drive way, Elizabeth took in the familiar surroundings; she could never get used to how beautiful her family's home was. The trees and gardens that surrounded the house were her favorite; they were calming adding a warm welcoming feeling to compliment the house itself (1). It was an enormous house, especially considering it was just her and her parents that lived there and most of the time her mother was in Washington and her father was working at the hospital. She was usually left at home with her nanny who was also the housekeeper Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Jenkins's husband the butler Mr. Jenkins.

Eddie and Maddy purchased the house 25 years ago and it was just the two of them until they adopted Elizabeth. Eddie and Maddy lived hectic, fast paced lives but that didn't stop them from wanting a child. Maddy was diagnosed infertile due to untreated PID (2) while she was a teenager so they always knew they would have to seek other options for having a child. Before adopting Elizabeth, they suffered through two heartbreaking almost adoptions where both cases ended in the maternal mother keeping the child. After struggling for so long and finally getting the courage to try and adopt again they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl that was born in California. No time was wasted getting to the hospital once the baby was born, upon arrival the maternal mother had already signed the adoption papers and didn't want to see or speak to them. Only thing the she requested was that she knows who was adopting her. Maddy and Eddie brought Elizabeth back to their home in Massachusetts and finally had the family they've always hoped for.

The car parked in the driveway loop and as always there was Mr. Jenkins awaiting their arrival. Mr. Jenkins opened the door to the Range Rover (3); Maddy's bulletproof, all black, alloy rims SUV which was mandatory whenever she travelled. The car was a precaution she felt was necessary for her and her family considering what she did for a living. When the door to the Range was opened, Elizabeth bolted out and into Mr. Jenkins's arms.

"Albert, I've missed you" Elizabeth greeted the man that was her childhood hide and seek companion very cheerfully.

"Miss Eli what a pleasure it is to have you back home, it's been far too long young lady" Mr. Jenkins replied wrapping his arms around Elizabeth.

After releasing Elizabeth, Mr. Jenkins turned and offered his hand to Maddy who was waiting for the two of them to finish their reunion. Maddy climbed out of the Range and after exchanging greetings with her trusted butler, Maddy and Elizabeth made their way into the house, the latter running with excitement to see her father again.

Elizabeth ran into the entrance and was greeted by Mrs. Jenkins and a little boy about 1 years old that she had never seen before.

"Miss Eli, welcome home" Mrs. Jenkins said warmly, while repositioning the child she was holding so that she could give Elizabeth a hug with her free arm.

"Thank you Rita, and who is this handsome little man" Elizabeth questioned taking the child from Mrs. Jenkins's hands and holding it up in the air in front of her. Elizabeth always had a soft spot for children, holding this unknown baby boy was a natural instinct.

"This is Albert and my grandson Mason. He has been visiting for a week now. He was supposed to leave two days ago, but your father was very persuasive and Sarah agreed to have him stay until tomorrow evening" Mrs. Jenkins said following Elizabeth towards the family room, where Eddie was glued watching the game on the huge flat screen.

"He is so cute and cuddly" Elizabeth cooed and tickled Mason under his chin causing him to squirm and giggle. Walking into the family room she spotted her father sitting on the sofa in front of the flat screen watching the game.

"So this is what my papa does all day, and here I thought he was this super hero heart surgeon who never relaxed a day in his life" She teased while Eddie stood and embraced his daughter.

"I see my impertinent little angel found her way home" Eddie joked taking Mason from Elizabeth and gesturing her to sit next to him. Turning to Mrs. Jenkins he asked, "Rita, I think young Mason wants to watch the game, what do you think?"

"Sir, are you sure he will not be a bother?" Mrs. Jenkins questioned, knowing her employer was very fond of her grandson.

"He will be just fine, please go and relax"

"Just call if you need anything, it's wonderful to have you home Miss Eli" Mrs. Jenkins excused herself and went to check on dinner.

"Papa you look absolutely perfect holding Mason, here turn towards me and I'll take a picture" Elizabeth squealed while pulling out her phone. Eddie smiled and held Mason to face the camera. "Ok, 1…2… say cheese" she said and tapped the screen to take the photo. After showing her father the photo, they switched and Eddie took a picture of Elizabeth holding Mason. Elizabeth knew it was just too adorable to stay stored in her phone so she wrote a quick message and sent it.

"Well, now that you have found your way home Lizzie; would you like to tell me what caused your sudden interest in Sunday brunch at the Club? We used to have to drag you kicking and screaming" Eddie knew when he got the call from Maddy informing him that Elizabeth would be coming home that something had to be up.

"Uh, where's Mom?" Elizabeth thought maybe her mother would want to be here to explain to her father what was going on. Of course she didn't doubt her father would support her, he was always a bit of a softy when it came to her wanting something.

"Lizzie! Stop avoiding" Eddie was all too aware of his daughter's tactics.

"There you three are, since you have accomplished the impossible task of tearing your father's attention away from the game, dinner is ready" Maddy announced walking into the family room and picking up Mason from Eddie's lap. "And you young sir are late for your dinner feeding, come on you two, dining room now" she said, walking out of the family room to take Mason to Mrs. Jenkins.

Dinner was served and Eddie decided to bring back up the conversation he was trying to have with Elizabeth in the family room.

"Maddy I was just asking our daughter why the sudden interest in Sunday brunch at the Club and she decided to ignore me by using avoidance, which if I may add needs some practice" Eddie said looking at his daughter pointedly.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, if anyone ever wondered where she got her boldness from all they would have to do is have a conversation with her father.

"Eddie, please do not encourage her. I guess I should tell you that Elizabeth is here on Compound business and before you fume over not being involved in deciding whether she could participate, in my defense she has agreed that she will not push for active duty unless she finishes the training before her 20th birthday party. If she doesn't, then active duty will be off the table and if she wants to be involved in the agency then it will be from behind a desk or on need basis for field work. Like now for instance" Maddy didn't need to worry about her husband over reacting, although he worried about his daughter's safety, he never doubted Elizabeth's intelligence and abilities to succeed in anything she puts her mind to.

"Maddy, is this a good idea? We go to this club every month, are you sure it's going to be safe considering they know us very well and I'm sure you are aware of how popular talk about our daughter has gotten with the mother's with sons population there? They will all want to be introduced her, how is she going to stay under the radar?"

"Papa, chill with all the questions. I'm not going to walk into the dining hall with you and mom and I'll only have two minutes to get what I need to get done, so I won't make some huge noticeable entrance. Brunch will start and while the Club's president is giving his usual speech I'll be back before the waiters serve the tea" Elizabeth stuffed a spoon of beef stew in her mouth, glad to have parents who loved good food just as much as she did.

"Listen I'll be on a com the entire time and there will be two other agents around the perimeter as back up. Lizzie just needs to get in and out in two minutes; it'll be like one of those crazy military xbox games she is so addicted to" Maddy reasoned, hoping Eddie would drop it.

"Those crazy military xbox games involve guns and people dying"

"Ok so that wasn't the best example, but she'll be fine. I'll be there, you'll be there and the team will be there. The only variable we have to worry about is Lizzie, she's the lead on this mission, sweetheart how are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for months, trust me mom, Papa I can do this. Now if you both will excuse me I want to play with Mason before Rita puts him down for bed" Elizabeth excused herself from the dinner table and went to the nursery that used to be hers when she was a child. The conversation at the dinner table went very well in her opinion; she just hoped that she would be able to deliver tomorrow. Not only was her future in the agency dependent on her succeeding, but getting those bugs planted would get them a step closer to Lotus and maybe closer to finding Darcy's sister.

She tried to avoid the subject of Darcy since this morning's incident, but every time she had a moment to herself, her mind kept flashing back to the music room and piano seat. Her first kiss was great; shit it was possibly the best first kiss of all time, but it was with Darcy. The guy was way too complicated for her already complicated life. There was no denying that she had feelings for Darcy, he just came with baggage. First, she was barely 20 and he was 7 years older than her, there was no way that was going to sit well with her parents. Second, he has history with Lotus, deep history; Maddy has been chasing them for months now things were bound to get ugly when she asked her mother to take on Darcy's case. Finally, he was Darcy; one of the world's most eligible bachelors, a man with power to his name. She liked being low key rich; people weren't fake towards her and she could walk out without having to duck or dodge the paparazzi. Fame was not something that appealed to her and that was bound to come to any girl hanging off of Darcy's arm and she most certainly wasn't the kind of girl to hang on any mans arm.

After helping Mrs. Jenkins put Mason down, she went to the music room; thoughts of Darcy consumed her and her fingers played a random melody mimicking this confusion. That morning was like nothing she had ever felt before, there was no denying she liked it; it felt amazing. Things were just moving way too fast, the kiss wasn't just a kiss; it had depth and meaning. Darcy was becoming some sort of constant in her life, but how was it all suppose to work out? Abandoning herself to Darcy was spontaneous, it felt right. Finishing her musical rant, she retired for bed needing her rest for the big day that lay ahead.

* * *

Back in San Francisco Jane, Charlie and Darcy were sitting in the living room watching the game when both Jane and Charlie's phones went off. After giving each other a very questioning look they took out their phones and once they opened the message had very identical expressions painted on their faces. Elizabeth had sent them the picture of herself and Mason with the message, _for my birthday I want a nephew that is this adorable. Thanks love and miss you both._

"Who's the kid?" Charlie asked with a huge grin pointed at the adorable picture of Mason on his screen.

"I have no idea, but they're both adorable" Jane said shaking her head at her sisters never ending attempts at persuading her and Charlie to have children.

"What are you two grinning at?" Darcy asked curious as to why Jane and Charlie's faces were glued to their phones.

"Bugs just sent us a picture of her and a cute kid" Charlie replied and tossed the phone to Darcy.

Darcy caught it and stared at the baby and Elizabeth after reading the message attached he couldn't help but think of what it would be like if he and Elizabeth had a child together. She would make a great mother; she's loving, very compassionate, adores her family and what he loved most about her is she's fearless. Shaking his head and tossing the phone back to Charlie he popped back into reality. She was also only 19 years old, having a baby with him was definitely crossing the line with his thoughts now, it was enough he completely disregarded the fact that she was seven years younger than him. After what happened earlier that morning, Elizabeth was the only thing thought running through his head the entire day; he missed her. Excusing himself from the living room, he walked upstairs and collapsed on the bed. Pulling out his phone and typing and deleting over twenty drafts he finally mustarded up the courage to send one, but realized he didn't have Elizabeth's number and threw his phone down on the mattress. Shutting his eyes in frustration he laid for half an hour in that position til a thought popped into his head. He had not spoken to Richard since that night at the restaurant, picking up the phone he called his cousin and prepared to get directed to voicemail.

"Hello" said Richard's slightly faint voice on the other end.

"Richard, please don't hang up" Darcy pleaded, surprised Richard even picked up the phone.

"Just get on with my apology Darcy and it had better involve something new coming my way in the near future" Richard knew he shouldn't let Darcy get off the hook that easily, but the fact of the matter was Georgie was missing and they were all she had left. Holding a grudge would just get in the way of trying to find her, so he decided to put everything aside and be there for his cousin; even if he was a class A jackass.

"I overreacted, I'm really sorry about how things are between you, Jane and Elizabeth. However, I have apologized to both and Elizabeth has forgiven me. She's even offered to help get her mother to hear us out. Jane however is still pissed, I'm really sorry Richard; about how I threw you under the bus and just drove over both you and Elizabeth at the restaurant. Please forgive me?" Darcy wasn't good at apologies, shit he was Darcy; he never had need for them, but Richard was all the family he had left right now.

"I'm sorry; I missed the part where you said you bought me a gift"

"Fuck Richard. Fine, I'll get you courtside seats to the NBA finals" Darcy huffed; sometimes he was sure Richard was a 5 year old girl.

"That's more like it. You're forgiven" Richard said smugly into the receiver. Darcy was undoubtedly an asshole, but he was an asshole with connections. "About Bugs agreeing to helping, I already knew. We talked the day after the whole restaurant failure and she told me. Can I ask you something? "

"If I say no will you listen?" Darcy rolled his eyes and questioned sarcastically.

"Nope" Richard replied making sure to pop and drag the P to irritate Darcy even more then he sounded.

"Fine, what is it?"

"Did you have feelings for Bugs?"

Darcy's eyes widen and he paused for a while. He knew Richard was taking this pause as a yes and there was certainly no use in trying to cover it up.

"feeling?, shit I wish it were just feelings. I think I'm in love with her" finishing this sentence Darcy felt his pulse quicken and he had to throw every remaining piece of thought he had left in trying to remember how to breath properly. He finally admitted what he had been feeling in his heart out loud, but it wasn't to Elizabeth it was to Richard and that wouldn't change anything.

"You think? Darcy Bugs is not someone you think you love. She's fierce, badass and tough, but she's delicate and innocent on the inside. Don't lie, what the fuck happened between you two?"

"What are you talking about?" Darcy knew better then to admit anything here; Richard could be referring to a number of different things.

"Bugs called me before her plane took off earlier today and it was normal, up until I mentioned how things were going with you two. All of a sudden she started getting evasive; a defense mechanism she has always sucked at" Richard said matter-of-factly into the phone. He knew something was up with Darcy and Elizabeth; it was just a matter of getting one of them to admit it.

"Nothing happened, listen I was actually hoping to get her number from you" Darcy tried to be very smooth about it, but there was no use, Richard already knew so he just asked.

"She didn't give you her number? Wow that's a first. Leave it to Bugs to bruise a man's ego" Richard was laughing hysterically.

"I never asked for it, so her not giving it to me doesn't count. Just give me the damn number Richard"

"Alright, calm down. I've already texted it to you. Let me make it clear though Darce, you hurt her again and I swear I'll tell Jane that you have very dirty thoughts about her little sister. And trust me she'll fucking kill you and Elizabeth's mother will probably cover it up with a smile on her face" Richard threatened, emotions from the restaurant filling his head to protect his best friend. He knew his cousin was a great guy, but after his attack against her before he need to make sure Darcy understood where he was coming from now.

"Richard, I will never hurt Elizabeth again. You have my word" If only Richard knew about what had already happened between him and Elizabeth. Darcy imagined he probably would have been buried six feet deep in an unmarked grave already.

"Alright, well good luck then, try not to ramble and talk all proper like you're from the 19th century. That's really weird and Elizabeth is more of a no bullshit down to Earth girl; she doesn't like flowers or cute little pieces of poetry. Just be real and if everything fails feed her, it's her weakness" Richard offered his advice because he knew that his best friend and his cousin were perfect for each other. They were just complete opposites when it came to approaching things. Elizabeth was blunt and straight to business where Darcy was a turtle; he tended to hide in his shell and take forever to spit out whatever was on his mind.

"Thanks Richard, for everything. You and Georgie are all the family I have left"

"Yeah don't mention it, just get me my tickets"

It was never easy for Darcy to show his emotional side, and Richard was well aware of this. After hanging up the phone he pulled up a window to compose a new text and sent Elizabeth a warning text that he had given Darcy her number. He knew if he didn't there would be a huge ass whooping waiting for him when she got back to San Francisco. Shaking his head at Darcy's confession about Elizabeth, he smiled and returned his attention back to the case in front of him.

* * *

**Links In Profile:**

(1)Gardiner Home in Massachusetts

(2)Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

(3)Maddy's Range Rover


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Brunch and Texting?**

Elizabeth woke with a start, it was the morning of the mission and she was ready to get business done. After taking a shower and throwing on a 3/4 sleeve simple red dress that fell just above her knees and black stockings (1), she proceeded to straighten her hair. Picking up her black heels she grabbed her purse off her bed and ran downstairs to have breakfast.

After breakfast the Gardiner's loaded into the Rover and were sitting in the church pews by 8:30am.

Her family always attended church on Sundays. Most Sundays in her childhood it would be just her and her father, but regardless of who attended service with her, they always sat in the same section of the church.

During the sermon Elizabeth felt her father's hand on her shoulder, she looked over to him and he gave her a reassuring smile. Elizabeth knew her father was nervous for her, she snaked her arm around his waist and whispered in his ear.

"Don't worry Papa"

"I know, I'm just being a father?" Eddie whispered back leaning his chin on the top of Elizabeth's head.

"I promise, everything will be alright"

They smiled reassuringly at each other and refocused their attention on the sermon.

Maddy worried for Elizabeth, but she knew that showing her anxiety regarding Elizabeth's participation would only be a distraction. Elizabeth needed to be completely focused. As she watched the small moment of father daughter exchange, her heart dropped; Elizabeth was their baby girl. This was no ordinary day job, this was as real as it gets in the CIA and Elizabeth was right in the middle of it. Maddy closed her eyes and prayed for her daughter's safety and guidance.

When the service was finished the Gardiners went back home to dress for Sunday brunch at the club. Upon arrival a white Range Rover was waiting in the driveway loop. Maddy turned in her seat to face Elizabeth.

"Agent Parker, Agent Trent and Agent Wilson are here; memorize those plates on the back of the Rover. That's your base today, if something goes wrong that car is what you need to get to. You'll ride in with your father and I. Excuse yourself for the restroom the moment we walk into the lobby. From there Trent and Wilson will have your back. Elizabeth Marie Gardiner, you will be in and out in two minutes do you understand me?" Maddy said to her daughter in a tone that signified she was now speaking as the Director of CIA.

"Mom don't worry, I won't let you down" Elizabeth promised.

"Lizzie this isn't about letting anyone down, this is about you being safe; this is for your country. You have always made your father and I proud don't you ever forget that"

Eddie parked the car and Elizabeth went upstairs to dress for Bunch, leaving her parents standing in the entrance hall.

"Maddy are you sure about this? Lizzie is our little girl, what if something goes wrong?" Eddie was all nerves, he didn't know what was worse, allowing his daughter to put herself in danger or sitting down stairs doing nothing while she did it.

"Eddie, right now we need to just stay positive, Lizzie won't fail; she doesn't know how" she needed to say that out loud, not just for Eddie but for herself.

Half an hour later, Elizabeth descended the stairs with her tranq gun in its holster under the white silk dress she was wearing. Traditional brunch attire consisted of light colors and she always went for white. The dress she wore poofed out after the slim fitting top and defined waist, allowing her to hide her gun easily because of the baby doll flare of the skirt (2). Rather than wearing her favorite sandal heels, she opted for white pumps that were easy to run in if necessary. She placed her transmitter earrings on and fastened her com to her ear. After double checking that the Opal device, the bugs and the tracer were in her clutch she walked into the entrance hall where her parents were already changed and waiting for her.

Elizabeth always thought her parents a very good looking couple, but when they were dressed properly they were absolutely untouchable. Her mother was wearing a light grey dress that went past her knees and was short sleeve. The skirt of the dress was cut like a wrap around which her mother finished off with a nice pair of heels (3). Her father was dressed in a pin striped grey suit, fitted with a plaid dress shirt and dark loafers (4).

Maddy went through a quick check list of Elizabeth's gadgets and they hopped back into the black Rover and headed towards the country club.

Elizabeth was a 20 minute drive from destiny, every part of her body was pulsing with anticipation. Running through the mission time scale and procedures in her head, she powered on the Opal device and placed her cell on silent. Setting a 2 minute timer was unnecessary, Maria would be in the base car tapping into the security feed and watching her every move, Agent Wilson would be giving her time warnings while Agent Trent gave updates on Cartier's movement.

Eddie pulled the car under the Club's entrance loop and waited for the next valet to be available.

"Papa, Mom... I know this is nerve wrecking and I'm sorry if you both are worried sick, I just want to say that I love you both and that nothing will go wrong. Just let me have these 180 seconds to do something good in the world" She pleaded, although her face was calm and firm, her heart was desperately trying to break out of her chest and her hands were sweating from pre-mission jitters.

"Lizzie take this" Maddy said handing her daughter a lipstick tube, "if you get into trouble screw of the lid pop the lip color off and you'll find three mints. Drop them near electrical plugs when you need a distraction. Screw the lip color back on and push down. That should spark a small fire and you can get away"

Elizabeth put the tube in her clutch and got out the car when the club worker opened it. Eddie handed the valet the keys and came around the car to escort his wife and daughter inside.

The Gardiner's walked into the club and both Elizabeth and Maddy switched their ear pieces on. Immediately upon entering the lobby Elizabeth could feel all eyes on her and her parents. Out of her peripheral vision she saw a couple approaching their group and knew she needed to extract herself before introductions were made.

"Please excuse me; I need to visit the powder room. I'll meet you two at our table? "she said a little bit louder than one would, needing those around to hear.

"Of course sweetheart" Eddie replied as Elizabeth kissed his and Maddy's cheeks and walked away. "Good luck Lizzie" he said under his breath. Maddy squeezed his arm she was holding and they proceed to mingle with the other people standing in the lobby.

Elizabeth walked towards the restrooms very casually.

"Trent, what's your 20?" She whispered, making sure not to move her lips too much to draw attention.

"East corridor near the dining hall" Trent replied through his transmitter.

"Wilson?"

"Right behind you Eagle" Wilson said from 10 spaces back. "Parker is working on looping the security cams upstairs, once she's got 2 minutes of feed, you're up"

Eagle was the code name assigned to Elizabeth for the mission since she was taking the lead.

"Make sure she doesn't run it til Cartier has taken the podium, I'll need 10 second updates while I'm in the office" Elizabeth ordered while walking into the ladies powder room. There were two older women sitting on the circular lounge couch in the center of the room so Elizabeth turned her back to them and opened her clutch. Looking inside she noticed she didn't pack a single piece of makeup. Thinking on her feet she took out the lipstick tube her mother handed her and pretended to apply it, trying to look normal while looking to buy some time before Parker was done looping. The PA systems that were wired throughout the facility buzzed and someone cleared their throat and spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would please make your way to the dining hall, Club President Cartier will be taking the stage very shortly"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and watched through the mirror as the women seated behind her left the room. After checking to make sure the restroom was empty she pulled the Opal device and the small tranq gun that was holstered under her dress.

"Maria where are we on that feed?" Elizabeth whispered, her transmitter was hidden in her necklace so she was able to speak low and still be heard clearly through the coms.

"I can't get a clear hall, every time I run it someone walks through" Maria was in the Rover freaking out, she had never worked this close to a mission; she usually was back at headquarters managing the tech division. Her nerves were eating her up.

"You're shitting me right? Take a 10 second video and then loop it, we need to move now" Elizabeth was pacing the powder room.

"Trent where's Cartier?"

"Saying hello to your parents"

"Maria you have 25 seconds before Cartier gets on that stage, then our two minutes starts. I need those cameras seeing empty halls"

"He's headed towards the stage now" Trent's voice nervously came through the com. "And your mother is giving me a scary ass look"

"You know she could hear you?...We have no time, I'm going in now... Wilson cover my six and Maria no pressure, but you got until I reach the stairs before I start running" Elizabeth put the tranq gun back in its holster and held the Opal device like she was making a phone call. Walking out of the powder room there was Wilson pretending to straighten his attire in a hallway mirror. Her pulse was racing while she walked past him towards the steps that lead to the second floor. The lobby was empty aside from the guard situated at the front desk watching the cameras, the doorman and the Valet whose backs were facing her.

"Wilson, distract the guard so I can get to those stairs before the two by the door turn around... Trent get ready to cause a scene in case I don't make it. Mom don't freak out, we are handling this" Elizabeth could imagine perfectly what her mother was doing sitting in the dining hall and hearing how very wrong things were going. Seeing that Wilson was talking to the guard she very smoothly walked towards the steps spotting Trent in the hall near the dining room doors.

"Eagle you're good to go" came Maria's voice through the com. Elizabeth released the breath she had been holding and quietly but briskly ran up the flight of steps. Reaching the landing to the third floor Elizabeth took out her tranq gun and walked the long corridor leading to Cartier's office.

"A minute 50 seconds" Wilson updated Elizabeth.

"The door you're looking for will be the last facing directly towards you, I'm working on you invisibility inside the office now" Maria spoke while vigorously trying to tap into the systems surveillance inside the office.

"Cartier has started his speech, and the Director mouthed hurry up... So not to add pressure, but let's get a move on Eagle" Trent was very nervous having Elizabeth lead this mission, not because he didn't think she could do it but because she was the Director's daughter and that woman scared the shit out of him.

"I'll have my back faced to anyone coming up so Maria monitor those cameras and alert when someone is approaching"

Elizabeth reach the door and was greeted by the security panel.

"Minute 30" came Wilson's voice

Elizabeth said nothing; she was too busy screwing off the panel. Once she got a clear view of what she was working with, it took her 15 seconds to cut into the system's network and rewire them through the Opal device. Four numbers popped on the screen of the device which alerted Elizabeth of which hash file she would need in order to crack the other 6.

"Eagle, 75 seconds... You need to get inside that room"

"Just give me the time and leave the extra commentary out thanks" Elizabeth replied, voice calm and focused. While the file did its magic she looked around to make sure no one was approaching. The Opal beeped and the screen displayed the last 6 missing numbers. Elizabeth disconnected the device and punched the numbers into the panel. The door to the office clicked open. She exhaled dramatically and began reattaching the panel to the wall.

"I'm in, am I cleared Maria" she questioned while placing the device back into her clutch and taking out the tracer and listening bugs.

"All cleared Eagle" Maria assured

"Cartier?"

"He's still talking" Trent answered

"you have 45" Wilson reminded

Elizabeth walked in the office and spotted Cartier's laptop on his desk. She picked it up and removed the battery, after placing the tracer that looked like a small mole on the back of the battery she replaced it and looked for a place to plant the listening bug.

"20 seconds" she heard through her ear piece

"Shit" she said to herself. Taking the sticky backing off the back of the bug she jumped on the chair position in front of the desk and reached up towards the ceiling fan. Deciding to place the bug on the base near the ceiling where it blended in very inconspicuously and jumped off the chair.

Elizabeth had just exited the office and closed the door when she heard Trent's voice.

"Eagle Cartier is finished get out of there" he warned.

"Roger that, Wilson I'm coming down, give me cover"

Elizabeth heard a loud crashing sound of something breaking.

"Hurry" came Wilson's voice along with a few other angrier and firmer ones.

"Wow, real smooth Wilson, let's wrap this up. I'll see you guys back at headquarters"

Wilson's idea of distraction was to drunkenly knock over a vase that got him removed from the club. Elizabeth was standing in the lobby watching them escort Wilson out when a voice she didn't recognize came through her ear piece.

"Ah, Mr. And Mrs. Gardiner, what a pleasure to see you both again; it was my understanding that your beautiful daughter would be joining you today" the voice said, Elizabeth eyebrow went up questioning this strangers knowledge of her presence. Walking to the glass doors leading into the hall she spotted Trent. Without getting near him she spoke into the transmitter.

"Check the tracer and bug to make sure they are working properly, good work... All of you" she commented before shutting off her transmitter and earpiece and walking into the dining room.

Trent had not seen Elizabeth before the mission started, but when she walked passed him into the dining room he felt his heart skip a beat. She looked amazing cleaned up; jeans and a plain tee were cute on her, but in a dress and heels Elizabeth assassinated the field. After retrieving his face from the floor he walked towards the club entrance with the picture of Elizabeth glued in his thoughts.

"Ah Lizzie there you are" Eddie looked up relieved to see his daughter walking towards the table.

"I'm so sorry Papa, all those absent years from the club I seemed to have forgotten where the powder room was" She walked into her father's arms; noticing how tightly he embraced her. "Hi Mom" she smiled and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. She could see the relieved expression her mother was shooting at her.

"Lizzie, what a delight to finally meet you" the strange voice Elizabeth heard through the com said.

"Uh it's Elizabeth and you are?" She question a bit coldly, irritated at his use of her parent's nickname for her as if they were well acquainted.

"Bill Collins, accountant of the most respected Lady Catherine De Bourge" Mr. Colin's said over dramatically.

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow towards her father, questioning the duck of a man in front of her with seriousness. Maddy saw the look and although she thought him a bit of an idiot gave Elizabeth a scolding look that could only be interpreted as you better play nice or you'll be in trouble.

"I'm afraid I am not at all acquainted with the name, Mr. Collins" She said as politely as she could manage.

"Oh my Elizabeth, she is a wonderful woman; owner of the beautiful Rosing Estate and Bourge Shipping Corporation. One of the most powerful names in England" Mr. Collins said in one breath; eyes wide with admiration at what he just revealed.

"Yes, that maybe so but this is America; I'm afraid the lives of the rich and famous in Europe aren't as well known here as you think. If you'll excuse me Mr. Collins I believe that is my seat you are occupying" Elizabeth replied a fake smile painted across her face.

"Oh of course. Please allow me" Mr. Collins stood and motioned for Elizabeth to be seated so that he could push her chair in for her. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but the look from her mother silenced any comeback she was preparing and she took her seat.

"Thank you" she muttered coldly.

"It is my pleasure; may I have the honor of escorting you to your vehicle when you are ready to leave?" He asked with a smug grin as if assuming he wasn't going to denied. He was wrong.

"That will not be necessary, thank you" Elizabeth turned and focused her attention on the food the waiter set down before her.

When Mr. Colin walked away she directed the fake smile she flashed him towards he parents who were glaring at her.

"Lizzie, did you have to treat Mr. Collins that way?" Maddy asked lips pressed together and eyes narrowed.

"Mom he's a baboon, the exact reason I stopped coming to first Sunday brunch"

"Regardless Lizzie, you were rude; the poor guy is probably somewhere sulking in a corner"

"Please Maddy, I'm sure he's off boasting about that De Bourge woman he wouldn't stop speaking of. Lizzie if you thought that was annoying try having to deal with 30 minutes of his rambling" Eddie joked, Mr. Collin's was a regular at the club and he knew all too well what being stuck in a conversation with him felt like.

An hour later, brunch came to an end and the Gardiners said goodbye to a few acquaintances, making sure to avoid Mr. Collins and left the club.

"What was the issue with the surveillance?" Maddy questioned when they pulled onto the freeway.

"Honestly I have no idea. That was basic knowledge for computer geeks, Maria should have had it done without a problem" Elizabeth shook her head at the minor setback in the beginning of the mission.

"You handled it like a pro, I was getting a bit nervous when I heard all those swear words leave those innocent lips" Maddy turned in her seat and gave Elizabeth a look that was waiting to be contradicted.

Eddie's curiosity was raised.

"What happened?" He questioned looking into his rear view mirror to see Elizabeth's eye roll.

"Nothing Papa, just slight technical issues that were fixed and the job got done. And really there is nothing wrong with using a few four letter words here and there. Is it not enough that I have to deal with Jane and Charlie scolding me?"

"Lizzie, you're a beautiful young lady. Using that kind of language makes you seem rebellious and without manners" Maddy has tried for years to get her daughter to quit using profanity, but with her husband's occasional slips there was really no hope.

"Well monkey see, monkey do. So when Papa stops so will I" she giggled catching her father's eyes in the mirror.

"Shit, looks like it's a lost cause Maddy" Eddie shook with laughter joining his daughter, while Maddy rolled her eyes and tried to fight back the urge to laugh as well.

After going over the mission with her mother Elizabeth told her parents she was going upstairs to relax. Closing the door behind her she belly flopped down on her bed and let the mornings events replay through her head. She had actually done it, full time agent clearance ways just in her reach. Picking up her clutch, she fished out her phone and called Jane.

"Bugs, I've been up since 5:00am waiting for your call" Jane's worried voice answered on the other end.

"Hello to you too sissy" Elizabeth replied enjoying the high she was on.

"Yeah, yeah hello, So how did it go?"

"Well considering I'm talking to you I'm obviously not dead" Elizabeth joked knowing Jane was going to freak out at her comment.

"Elizabeth!" Jane growled

"I slayed that damn mission sis. I was real Mission Impossible about it too. Giving out orders and calling the shots; it was just too real" Elizabeth was squealing.

"I don't think your reaction to the situation you were in is normal Bugs. Seriously, give me the details"

Elizabeth retold the mission to Jane all while getting up and packing her things to return to S.F. The next morning.

"That was it, oh and then there was this really slimy dud that tried to get at me. It was the creepiest thing. All he wanted to do was talk about his boss some lady named Catherine De Bourge" Elizabeth shook her head in disgust remembering how uncomfortable it was to have Mr. Collin's eyes on her.

"Just be glad you never met her" Jane replied, head filled with memories of the wretched woman.

"You have?" Elizabeth was surprised.

"Unfortunately yes, Charlie and I were guests at her estate last thanksgiving. Darcy and Richard are her nephews"

"What?! This is truly a small world. Is it as magical and amazing as the toad Mr. Collin described?"

"It is lovely, but nothing compared to Pemberly. She's an awful person though; she carries herself like she's the Queen of England"

"Shit, she must be a witch if you have something negative to say about her" Elizabeth really wanted to meet this woman now.

"Seriously, with the language?"

"Don't start, Maddy just gave me a sermon, I don't need one from you. How's Charlie? And uh Darcy? " Elizabeth's stomach started to turn at the mention of Darcy; he was running through her mind like crazy. Everything about him, was confusing.

"Charlie is planning on cooking steaks on the grill just for you Darcy and Richard tomorrow and Darcy is Darcy. I'm sure he'd freak out had he know what you were really doing there. He's sort of been moping, if that's even possible for him, probably just everything with Georgiana bringing him down"

Elizabeth felt like her heart was slowly being ripped from her chest. The thought of Darcy sad made everything around her freeze.

"Bugs?...Bugs?" Jane said into the phone. Nothing was coming from Elizabeth's side of the line so she thought the call might have been dropped.

"Yeah? Sorry I just lost my train of thought" Elizabeth jerked back to reality.

"I was just saying that you should tell Maddy about Georgiana, then when you come back she can meet Darcy" Jane was a bit thrown off by Elizabeth's distracted behavior. Elizabeth was never one to just lose focus.

"Woah, why...uh... Why would I do that?" Elizabeth replied a little too suspiciously. Hearing Jane say Darcy should meet her mother hit a little too close for comfort.

"Because you are there with her and she'll understand better if it's just the both of you involved in the conversation"

"Right, yeah you're absolutely right. I'll talk to her"

"Alright well I got to get started on lunch, will you need a ride from the airstrip tomorrow?"

"Richard's gonna pick me up. Maddy is going straight to The Compound so I asked him and he said he would".

"Fine, but he and Darcy are still jerks in my book"

The sisters said their good-byes, Elizabeth ended the call and checked the rest of her text messages and voice mails. As usual a dozen new voice mails and a few more text messages. There was always something shutting down or malfunctioning at S.A.I.A, sometimes she just wanted to escape all the madness. Tackling the text messages first she clicked through 5 pertaining to the company, and then she saw a text from Richard.

[Heads up, I gave Darcy your #. U better tell me what's going on btwn you 2 or I'll find someone else to take to the NBA finals]

"That little asshole" she muttered to herself. Screening the rest of her messages she found a number that didn't have an ID.

[I hope you're enjoying visiting your family, I can't stop thinking about you

D.]

Elizabeth stopped breathing, she most certainly was freaking out. Boys were not her strong suit; she was 19 and just barely had her first kiss some 36 hours ago. Darcy was thinking about her and she was thinking about him, so what was the problem?

"Uh, hello... Earth to Elizabeth. The man is seven years older than you. He's so out of your league. He could have any woman he wants, why the fuck would he want you?" She said to herself, eyes turned towards the ceiling. "But he kissed me and told me he wanted to, that meant something. Elizabeth quit being such a coward and just text him back" She stopped talking to herself and picked up her phone. Remembering what Jane said about his shift in demeanor she composed a few draft messages. Finally deciding on one, she sent it away and let the rush of anticipation and regret wash over her. Sure the wait for a response would drive her crazy, she left her phone on the bed and walked to the kitchen to grab a snack.

"There you are, what have you been up to for the past hour?" Maddy questioned, watching Elizabeth enter the kitchen and rummage through the fridge.

"Just catching up with Jane. There is actually something really important I need to speak to you about mom" she answered without removing her head from inside the fridge

"Lizzie get you head out of the fridge and speak to me properly"

Elizabeth took a can of pop out of the fridge and walked towards the pantry, after grabbing a bag of munchies and retrieving a glass for her soda she sat down across from her mother.

"Mom I have friend, who uh... Um who kinda needs your help" she said while popping her soda and pouring it in the glass.

"Ok, continue..." Maddy said hesitantly, raising her eyebrows at her daughters efforts at trying to have a serious conversation, but at the same time trying to avoid it.

"Have you heard of the name Darcy before?"

"Of course, it is D of DB Corporation... Where is this going Lizzie?"

"This is going to sound sketchy, but then again you're CIA royalty so may be not all that sketchy. You've probably seen a lot of trivial things..."

"Elizabeth Marie stop rambling and spit it out"

"Mr. Darcy's younger sister has been kidnapped and since he is Richard's cousin and Charlie's best friend, I was hoping maybe The Compound could take on this case"

"Have they gone to the police? This sounds like something more up their alley. I mean I've heard of the Darcy's influence in Europe, but I don't see why The Compound would come into such a case; seems more of a domestic case then the stuff we usually take on"

"Uh that's where the sketchiness comes in. Believe it or not, Lotus kidnapped Darcy's sister"

"Stop joking around Lizzie" Maddy tried laughing off her daughters remark.

"I really wish I was mom, but I'm very serious. Apparently Darcy and a guy name George Wickham are childhood buddies, but things changed between them and Wickham has some sort of Vendetta against the Darcy family"

"How do you know about Wickham being in a member of Lotus?"

"Darcy told me. He's been fighting to put them behind bars since his father's death. After he put Mr. Denny in prison he returned home to find his house completely vandalized and his sister missing. Lotus graffitied all over his home and threatened that if he came after them for his sister they would kill her ".

"Did this happen on US soil?"

"No back in London"

"I can see why he hasn't called the local law enforcement in London; finding someone who isn't a Lotus pawn is like looking for a needle in a hay stack"

"Her name is Georgiana Darcy and she's only 18 mom. Please you have the resources, and he is really a nice guy who just wants his sister back" Elizabeth said, her cheeks failing her and burning red.

"I don't believe it, you have feelings for him don't you?" Maddy pointed out seeing the way her daughter was blushing. It was a rare occasion to see Elizabeth in such a state.

"I do not, I just sympathize with his situation, that's all"

"So you're coming to me has nothing to do with Mr. Darcy being an extremely attractive man, that is well known internationally and who just so happens to be Richard's cousin?"

"No this has to do with principles and wanting to do good in the world. Bad people think that they can get away with hurting innocent people, it's not fair mom, but if there is a slight chance that justice can be found I think it's our duty as human beings to help others"

"Lizzie this is a complicated situation, the CIA just got a big break with Cartier; finding Mr. Darcy's sister is easier said than done. It may seem simple considering we are chasing Lotus, but extracting a girl from them is a whole other ball park. You need to understand that I can't just decide something like this right now; I'll need to look at the files again and consult with VP Lucas"

"Right I completely understand. Thank you mom "Elizabeth stood and gave her mother a hug and walked back to her room, feeling like a huge burden was just lifted off her shoulders. She said she'd help Darcy bring the case to her mother and that actually went better than she expected. Shutting the door, her eyes shot straight to the bed where she left her phone. Taking a deep breath and walking towards her bed, she picked it up and closed her eyes trying to calm her racing heart.

"Stop being such a girl, if he didn't reply then he just didn't get the message yet. Don't over analyze it okay?" she murmured to herself, her pulse racing so fast she could feel it beat at the back of her head. Putting in her password she unlocked the phone and checked for new messages.

* * *

Darcy was sitting at the desk in Charlie's study working on a case trying to get his mind off of Elizabeth. She hadn't even been gone for two days, but he was missing her. It's not like they were in a relationship; it was just a kiss. As much as Darcy tried to shake the kiss out of his head, it was just impossible. What he shared with Elizabeth was epic. It was thee kiss; the one that sealed his fate. He belonged with Elizabeth Gardiner, he needed her. Feeling a small vibration coming from his chest pocket Darcy pulled out his phone thinking it would just be something pertaining to work. His eyes widen and he unconsciously stopped breathing for a few second when he saw the sender ID, _Elizabeth Gardiner_. He righted his breathing and opened the message.

[I freaked out...Give me a computer and I'll design some hi-tech geek software that could take over the market, but give me a real life issue dealing with the male species and I'm running around like a chicken with their head cut off]

Darcy didn't know how to feel, was she saying this as a positive sign or was this a way of rejecting him in the language of a genius? Responding to a message like this was difficult, but he did want to respond.

_[What are you saying?_ ]was the best he could come up with. Apparently he also sucked at social skills when it came to texting too. He placed his phone on the desk after staring at it for a whole five minutes willing it to alert him he had a new message. Folding his arms on the desk, he dropped his head on top of them and let the anticipation consume him. Some ten minutes later he jumped at the sound of his phone vibrating next to him. His heart was racing opening up the message.

[I told you I never kissed anyone. I don't know how to be unconsciously charming]

Darcy's eyes narrowed and a small chuckle escaped his lips. Was she saying she didn't know how to flirt, because she was definitely selling herself short. Elizabeth was possibly the most proficient flirt he had ever met, even if she did it to win a basketball game. An idea popped in his head and he decided to play coy to make Elizabeth admit she had feelings for him.

_[Are you saying you don't know how to be nice_?] Darcy texted a smile playing on his lips.

[No, I can be nice] Elizabeth replied offended that he would ask such a thing.

_[I don't understand]_ Darcy was grinning so widely now, maybe by confusing Elizabeth she would crack.

[That's exactly my point] she was confused about everything between her and Darcy, not understanding was a given.

_[Huh?]_ Darcy sent, shaking his head at the screen of his phone.

[I don't understand] Elizabeth replied a duh look forming on her face at Darcy's confusion.

_[What_?] He questioned knowing he had her right where he wanted her.

[I said I don't understand] She replied wanting to throw her pone at the wall, not understanding how in four text messages Darcy was already confused.

_[What don't you understand?]_ He was repeating everything she messaged hoping to irritate her into confession.

[This shit!] Elizabeth exclaimed, her phone meeting the wall becoming more of an option.

_[What shit_?] Darcy laughed at Elizabeth's irritation. She was adorable in text messages just as she was in person.

[You're giving me a headache] Elizabeth replied, shaking her head in agitation.

_[I'm sorry, I just don't understand what you're trying to say]_ Darcy never thought playing coy could be so amusing.

[Neither do I] Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Darcy's repetitiveness.

_[Well let me help you and we could end the confusion]_ Darcy offered Elizabeth, sensing she was probably going to be very angry soon.

[Wait you're confused?] Elizabeth knew she was confused about her feelings, but Darcy was the one that confessed wanting to kiss and then he texted her he was thinking about her.

_[No you're confused]_ He stated, the conversation was going exactly as planned.

[Quit responding like that] She demanded, Darcy was being annoying.

_[Then just say what is on your mind]_ Darcy responded hoping his annoyingness had built up enough frustration for her to tell him how she felt.

[Uh fuck this, you're an asshole who messes with every thought in my head. I can't stop thinking about you and because of that I don't even know how to act anymore... Jerk!] Elizabeth gave up, he was irritating her and she just wanted to get out what was bothering her all day.

Darcy was staring at his phone like a little school boy. Elizabeth had feelings for him, granted she didn't really come out with it nicely; she still admitted having them.

_[Was that so hard?] _He questioned heart pounding knowing that Elizabeth was thinking about him.

[Are you smiling?] Elizabeth rolled her eyes and took a deep breath feeling relieved.

_[Yes]_ Darcy replied blushing and smiling the brightest he had ever smiled in his life.

[Then yes it was hard, but worth it... You're still and asshole] Elizabeth answered, a wide smile forming on her face.

_[I miss you]_ Darcy confessed, he let go of everything holding him back and just texted back exactly how he was feeling.

[That's the carelessly charming crap I'm talking about] Elizabeth replied, cheeks burning red and eyes wide in shock that Darcy had just simply put an emotion that was so intense.

_[So you can talk shit til your blue in the face, but you can't say something nice to me_?] Darcy replied, he was just teasing but he really did want Elizabeth to say she missed him too.

[I can be NICE! just not, mushy] Elizabeth answered a look of discomfort spread across her face. She had never felt this way for a guy and didn't know what she was supposed to say or do.

_[Mushy_?] Darcy raised his eyebrows at the use of a the word.

[I have to go, dinner] Elizabeth replied hearing her mother's voice calling her to come down.

_[Just say you miss me Elizabeth]_ Darcy's heart dropped at the realization that their conversation was ending. He wanted to see her, hold her and he really wanted to kiss her again.

[Bye, Fitzwilliam] Elizabeth texted a smug look of payback painted across her face.

Darcy read the last text and shook his head at Elizabeth's usual attempt to make fun of him. He had just spent that past 30 minutes texting Elizabeth, never had he felt this happy in his life. Closing his eyes to soak in the wonderful feeling he heard his phone vibrate. Checking the ID he saw it was Elizabeth.

[I miss you too] was what the message said and that was enough to melt his heart. Tomorrow could not come soon enough for him to be reunited with her. Picking up his phone and putting his papers in his bag he left Charlie's study to return to his room and reread the texting conversation he had just had with Elizabeth. Tonight sleep would not come easy, but this time it would be welcomed thoughts that would keep him awake.

* * *

**Images In Profile:**

(1)Elizabeth's Church Outfit

(2)Elizabeth's Brunch Outfit

(3)Maddy's Brunch Outfit

(4)Edward's Brunch Outfit


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: Heart Beat Slowing Down**

"Have you've given any thought to picking up Mr. Darcy's case?" Elizabeth questioned from her seat across from her mother on the jet headed back to San Francisco.

"I've thought about it, but I need to see what VP Lucas thinks. There are a few issues that I think are important. First, there's the possibility that the girl isn't alive. Second, if we do take on this case then there is no way he can be more than just an acquaintance in our circle of friends and family; the fact that he and Charles are business partners is a little too close for my liking in a situation like this. If they took his sister with the threat that they'll kill her if he tries to find her then they will surely make the connection between you being my daughter and then she'll be dead. Lastly, there is more weight in capturing Wickham and essentially shutting down Lotus, I don't want a mission to come down to choosing either saving the girl or apprehending Wickham" Maddy replied, noticing how attentive her daughter was being.

"Well to your first statement they need leverage and she's it, so there should be no doubt she's alive. Secondly, I'll stay away if it means The Compound will take on the case and Georgiana will be safe and thirdly, Wickham cannot hide forever. Georgiana doesn't deserve to be in the middle of all of this. No life is worth catching a criminal, she shouldn't be a means to an end mom; think if it were me being held against my will. You'd let Wickham get away without hesitation right?" Elizabeth hated pulling out the guilt trip card, but it was the only way to play when it came to her mother. Choosing to stay away from Darcy was a decision that had to be made, regardless of her feelings for him, getting is sister back was more important.

"That's not the same, Georgiana isn't my daughter"

"No, but she's someone's daughter. Even if both her parents have passed, she means the world to Mr. Darcy" Elizabeth pleaded.

"Lizzie I said I'll discuss it with VP Lucas, when we reach a decision I'll let you know. Now we're landing in 15 minutes, Chase will be driving me to the penthouse, will you be joining me?"

"No, Richard is picking me up and we are going back to Jane and Charlie's for dinner, one of those special occasions where meat can actually enter the house. Why don't you join us I'm sure Jane and Charlie would love to see you again?"

"VP Lucas and I are having dinner to go over the feed from the brunch mission and I'll discuss Mr. Darcy's sister with her. So you go ahead, but I meant what I said about not getting too close to Mr. Darcy. Lotus is dangerous and I don't want you becoming some sort of target for them" Maddy said with a serious expression.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, and we're just friends... That's all"

"Really? And the grin you're trying to cover up means nothing? Lizzie I'm not a fool, although you have never shown a serious interest in men; you are an adult and I'll respect your privacy. Just know that you can come to me about dating and relationships" Maddy stared at her daughter, looking for some sort of reaction that would signal she was uncomfortable.

"So I think he's a nice guy, let's not go yelling it around town. I don't understand any of that stuff, it makes me feel weird. Honestly I don't even know what he'd see in me. I'm just regular; a guy like him has expectations..." She was cut off by her mother, whose tone was very strong and firm.

"Stop right there. You are the most beautiful young woman I have ever known and I'm not just saying this as your mother. Don't you ever degrade yourself like that again. I have never met anyone who can even come close to your drive for life, your courage and intelligence. There is no man on this earth that deserves you, but if you do give one a chance, _He_ will be the lucky one" Maddy was worked up, never had she imagined her daughter selling herself so short.

"I'm only saying Mr. Darcy's 27 and I'm really inexperienced at all this relationship stuff, not that I'm in one it's just weird not knowing the answers to everything" Elizabeth unashamedly admitted to her mother. After rushing through schooling and college Elizabeth was not a stranger to hurtful words, but no one was more supportive then her parents. There were so many people doubting her, but her parents were always there giving her pep talks that kept her moving. Telling her mother about Darcy's age was kind of an impulse type of reaction, but she was going to find out sooner or later so why beat around the bush.

"27? Are you ever going to stop pushing me towards a heart attack?" Maddy's said a bit out of breath from the shocking information she just learned. Darcy was 7 years older than her daughter, there was no way in hell she was going to swallow that one smoothly.

"Mom dad is 10 years older than you, but that's not the point. I'm not in a relationship with Mr. Darcy, we're just friends, so please don't over exaggerate when you tell dad". Elizabeth knew her mother was going to call her father the instant they landed, so if she calculated her parents correctly she should be expecting a call from her father sometime before midnight considering eastern time difference..

"I don't exaggerate" Maddy said defensively

"Oh really? So when you told dad that I shot 3 people during the Ray mission you just decided to dramatically say I used a gun, but left out the fact that it was just tranquilizers?" Elizabeth looked pointedly at her Mother, when she didn't respond Elizabeth asked, "Well can I at least stay with Jane and Charlie til you make a decision regarding Mr. Darcy?"

"Like I'll be able to keep you away, Jane is your sister of course you can stay with her. Just explain why public outings need to be toned down. Jane and Charles's connection with Mr. Darcy is undeniable and I haven't even touched on your relationship with Richard, you getting thrown in the mix it could lead to negative attention and hinder the case" Maddy replied confused as to why Elizabeth would even need to ask such a thing.

"No, you don't understand. Mr. Darcy is staying with Jane and Charlie too" she tried to ease that in very gently, but the horror that spread across her mother's face alerted her that she failed.

"Excuse me? No! Elizabeth why hadn't you shared this piece of information earlier? Not having him as an acquaintance is one thing, but sharing the same roof as him is basically putting the bullet through his sisters head. You will come back to the penthouse when you're finished with dinner. If Lotus gets wind of your connection with him, you think they won't put the pieces together that you're my daughter? There's no telling what they will do. You'll go and explain to Jane and Charlie why you'll be staying at the penthouse for the time being. The same goes for your relationship with Richard, I'm not saying you cannot be friends Elizabeth, you just need to separate yourself physically from all the people too involved or connected to Georgiana. After dinner I expect you back at the suite" Maddy's eyes were fierce with determination to get her way. When Elizabeth didn't answer she warned, "I will come and get you myself if you are not in the suite before I retire for the evening. I'm sorry, but as your mother I will not let you become a target. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am" Elizabeth whispered in a defeated voice strained with sadness, had she not said it she wouldn't have recognized it as her own.

The Gardiner Jet landed, neither of its occupants said a word as they exited towards their separate waiting parties. While her mother greeted Richard, Elizabeth climbed into the passenger seat of Richard's Chevelle and did something very uncharacteristic of her, she cried. As the tears rolled down her face she turned her head away from Richard and stared out the window, watching the outside world blur pass her.

Richard didn't know how to act, he'd never seen Elizabeth the least bit distraught, let alone cry before. Aside from her rage in the restaurant, all he was ever exposed to was her being a ball of sunshine with a sassy girl attitude. Seeing the tears roll down her face was breaking his heart and he finally spoke.

"Bugs, do you want to talk about it?" He said very softly.

Elizabeth wiped at her cheeks, but the tears kept falling. She tried reigning in her emotions, but her chest was shaking from the offbeat rhythm of her breathing causing her to sink deeper into the leather seat for support. Knowing talking was of no use right now, Elizabeth placed her left hand on the center arm rest palms facing up as a sign to Richard to hold her hand.

Richard took Elizabeth's hand in his and pinned his eyes on the road. As much as he wanted to find out what made his best friend so distraught she couldn't even speak he realized he should just focus on being there for her and she'll talk when she's ready.

Once her sobbing calmed down to just a few scattered whimpers Elizabeth felt she was ready to talk. Sitting up in her seat and clearing her throat she turned to Richard and told him what happened.

"So Maddy doesn't want you around us because of Lotus?" Richard said, a bit surprised that Elizabeth had actually discussed Georgiana's situation with her mother already. He didn't think she was going to do it that quickly, not that he was complaining, he just thought that maybe she would want him or Darcy there. He was also stunned by Elizabeth's confession that she actually liked Darcy.

"She just knows how criminals think and doesn't want me around if people as big and dangerous as the Lotus association are watching him" Elizabeth was hurt by her mother's demands that she not stay with Jane and Charlie anymore. Staying away from Darcy wasn't as bad because she understood the risks and wanted him to get sister back. If that meant she couldn't be around him or Richard then it was a sacrifice that had to be made.

"What are you going to tell Jane, Bugs you know she'll be crushed? Thank you for telling Maddy about Georgie, but this was not how I expected things to turn out" Richard felt guilty for Elizabeth's current situation.

"It'll all work out Rich, the agency will pick up the case and they'll find your cousin. Then everything will go back to normal. I just don't know how I'm suppose to tell my sister that I have to move out, it'll break her heart"

"I know, I'm sorry Bugs. Shit this is all my fault, I shouldn't have brought up your mom. I didn't think when Darcy told me Georgie was kidnapped, you were the first thing that popped into my head when he read me the note saying not to come after them or they'll kill her" Richard confessed feeling the weight of his actions falling on Elizabeth's shoulders.

"Shut up, you did the right thing. She's family, at the end of the day they're all you got. So let's just move forward because Georgiana has been away from home for too long. So I have to move out for a few months and I can't be around you all in public, I'll live" Elizabeth tried to push all the sadness down and think positive, knowing this wasn't what she wanted.

"What's going on with you and Darcy?" Richard was aching to find out why they were acting weird whenever he brought up the others name in conversation.

"I really don't know, one minute we were kissing and the next he was coping a feel and I didn't know what got into me, but shit got real pretty quickly. Luckily my alarm went off or I probably wouldn't be a virgin right now" Elizabeth admitted without embarrassment. She could talk about anything with Richard and not worry about him making horrible assumptions about her.

"What the fuck? I thought you guys were just doing that stupid flirtatious shit like gazing into each other's eyes. I clearly underestimated your ability to be spontaneous" He was not expecting that at all. Elizabeth was finally putting herself out there, but he couldn't help but feel guilty that Maddy was banning her from seeing Darcy now that they were getting closer. There had to be some way to fix all this.

"We were texting last night and after I called him an asshole for screwing up my head, he said he missed me" she laughed remembering the bubbling feeling inside her when she read that text. She like Darcy, but her mom was right; staying away was best for Georgiana.

"How do you feel about him really?"

"I like him, I'm just so new at all this, it's hard to act right when you can even understand the different emotions and feelings that you're experiencing, you know?"

Richard nodded not knowing how to respond, all he felt was his insides turning so rapidly it made him nauseas. Elizabeth liked Darcy and Darcy said he may be in love with her, but just as they seemed to be getting closer they were being pulled apart. It was a horrible feeling knowing that two people he really cared about were stuck between following their hearts and sacrificing for the safety of family. He didn't say anything for the rest of the ride back to the Bingley residence, all he was doing was thinking of scenarios that would help Darcy and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth took Richard's silence as an opportunity to figure out how she was going to tell her sister that she wasn't going to be able to stay with her and Charlie until everything with the Lotus case and Darcy's sister was taken care of.

When the Chevelle pulled up into the driveway loop Jane was already waiting at the door to welcome her sister home. After saying hello to Richard she turned to Elizabeth.

"Bugs, I've missed you" She greeted Elizabeth and pulled her into a body crushing hug.

"Missed you too sis, where's Charlie?" Elizabeth questioned as they walked inside, Richard following behind.

"He and Darcy are trying to figure out how to light the torches on the deck. Come on go upstairs and get washed up for dinner and we'll meet you outside" she said, then turning to Richard motioning him to follow her to the kitchen. Jane noticed her sisters slightly puff red face and wanted to ask Richard what happened.

When Elizabeth went up stairs to change for dinner, Jane took Richard to the kitchen for interrogation.

"Thanks for picking her up" She said while very severely looking over Richard's facial expression for anything out of the ordinary.

"Oh, it was nothing" Richard replied trying to avoid the questioning look Jane was shooting at him.

"What happened? And before you play dumb, I can see Elizabeth has been crying so just spill it" Jane's entire demeanor changed and she wanted answers.

"I can't say, Elizabeth just has a few things she has to tell you, Charlie and Darcy. I'm really sorry Jane about everything that happened before and what's going to happen next" Richard's voice was low and strained with guilt.

"What are you talking about? Richard, I'm serious what's going on?" Jane's voice got a little louder just as Charlie walked in through the doors leading to the deck.

"Hey Rich glad you and Bugs made it here safety. Speaking of which, where's Bugs?" Charlie asked completely oblivious to the scene he just walked into.

"She's upstairs washing up for dinner" Jane answered eyes never leaving Richard's face. Charlie looked from his wife to Richard and realized the tension.

"Uh, is everything alright?" He said hesitantly, unknowing the reason for Jane's glaring and Richard's off base expression.

"Richard, you're back" came Darcy's voice from the same direction Charlie had just entered from.

"Yeah, uh I think I'm gonna go wash my hands before we eat" Richard said excusing himself from the awkwardness growing in the room.

Darcy and Charlie looked at Jane who was breathing heavily at the door Richard just left through.

"What was all that about?" Charlie questioned his wife

"Nothing" Jane tried to cover up her frustration and rage by opening the fridge to retrieve the fruit salad.

"Jane?" Charlie pressed on.

"Just drop it, we're going to have a nice dinner and let this go for now" she said walking out to the deck with the bowl she took out of the fridge.

Charlie and Darcy now left alone in the kitchen gave each other looks of confusion and followed Jane outside.

Darcy was on pins and needles waiting for Elizabeth to come out to the deck for dinner. After their conversation via text last night, he was anxious to see her again. Although what happened in the kitchen just moments ago was a little weird, he didn't let that hover over his thoughts of Elizabeth.

After changing into a simple halter tied grey sheen dress that was very loose and flowy and putting on a simple pair of sandal heels (1) Elizabeth walked out her room towards the deck.

It was already dark out, so the torches and lamps surrounding the deck were lit. Jane had set the table beautifully and the white curtains surrounding the deck were tied back to the posts opening up to a clear view of the pool, garden and beautiful city behind the house.

"Hey" Elizabeth said softly as she crept up behind Jane who was leaning against the deck railings.

"You look great, I hope you're hungry, Charlie grilled some steaks for you, Darcy and Richard" Jane said while putting her arm through Elizabeth's and walking her towards the table.

"Starving" she said leaning her head on Jane's shoulder. It was not going to be easy telling her she was moving out, things were going to get emotional that was a guarantee.

Darcy noticed the moment Elizabeth walked out. He had been watching the door for that exact reason. As she walked towards her sister she looked completely angelic with her hair and dress flowing perfectly with the night's breeze. Never in his life had he felt such a connection to a woman, the small distance of ten feet was killing him.

"You should really stop staring" came Richard's voice to distract him from his current state of getting drunk from Elizabeth's presence.

"What happened back there in the kitchen?" Darcy replied to get the attention off his now red flushed face and throwing it on Richard. Charlie who was standing on the other side looked pointedly at Richard waiting for an answer.

"Elizabeth will tell everyone when she's ready, now let's go Jane is ready to start dinner" Richard answered and walked away from them. Shit was going to get real in a few moments.

While Charlie pulled out his wife's chair he noticed an unfamiliar look on Elizabeth's face as she sat down in the chair Darcy pulled out for her.

"Bugs are you feeling alright?" He asked worried she might be feeling fatigued from her flight.

"Of course just starving that's all" Elizabeth replied in an effort to keep things calm at the dinner table."Jane said you grilled, should I be worried that a vegetarian cooked my steak" a small giggle escaping her lips, determined to let laughter get her through this.

"I'll just pretend not to be offended, but you will love the fruit salad Jane prepared. She was being generous and added real sugar instead of splenda" Charlie joked, there was definitely something wrong with Elizabeth, which would explain Jane's very stiff behavior.

Darcy sat next to Elizabeth and even with his admiration of her entire being he could sense the weird tense vibes that were coming off of her. She barely raised her eyes to thank him when he pulled out her chair.

As everyone filled their plates an awkward silence enveloped the dinner table and it was eating Elizabeth's resolve to wait til after dinner to confess her mother's orders. When it looked like everyone had eaten a good amount of their dinner she decided to take the plunge.

"I spoke to my mother about the agency taking on Georgiana's case" she said after clearing her throat to get everyone's attention. The beat of her heart was racing so fast she picked up her glass of water and downed the rest of its contents hoping to steady it enough to continue. Looking around the table all eyes were pinned on her waiting for the rest of the story. Darcy's gaze was so intense it could burn a hole through the side of her face. Needing something to focus her attention on she turned to Richard who was seated next to Jane across from her.

"What did she say?" Jane said putting down her fork and giving her undivided attention to Elizabeth.

"She's discussing it with The Compound Vice President right now. I guess we'll find out tomorrow how everything went" Elizabeth turned her head to the side to look at Darcy, his deep blue eyes were there waiting. The moment her eyes met his she felt it, a pin go straight through her heart at the thought of not being able to see him or the rest of the people seated at the table for a while.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. Truly thank you" Darcy responded in admiration, he was flooded with so many different emotions. Elizabeth had done possibly the most priceless act of kindness by speaking with her mother, it took every fiber of his respect for her and the rest of those seated at the table for him not to pick her up and show her how grateful he was.

Elizabeth returned his expression of thanks with a warm smile that soon faded when she turned back to face Jane and continue with her confession. Seeing Jane's waiting eyes broke her, and quickly her eyes began filling with tears. Shutting her eyes to try and fight them back Elizabeth brought her hand up to her jaw to calm her quivering lips. Looking down towards the plate in front of her she said the words that set the wall of tears loose.

"Sissy, I'm so sorry" her voice trembled with sorrow.

Jane was so confused. Elizabeth was sitting across the table apologizing to her and crying. She got up quickly to go and comfort her sister, but paused when she heard Elizabeth speak.

"Don't Jane, just sit back down and let me get through this before I…" Elizabeth's voice cracked and she closed her eyes to get her breathing under control. "The conversation with my mother didn't go as well as I thought it would. With Darcy's family being the target of Lotus threats she feels that it would be best if I uh, if I moved into the penthouse until things cool down" she said regaining her bearings and looking from her sister to Charlie.

"Are you saying you have to move out and that's it? Or are you saying…" Jane was crying now and Elizabeth looked away from the sadness covering her sister's face. Jane's sobbing was growing deeper and straining her efforts at completing her sentence. When she did try again her voice was only a whisper "are you saying that we can't see you anymore?"

"I am so sorry Jane, this is not about you or Charlie, you both have been the best people in the entire world to me outside from my parents. I don't want to do this… but you have to understand why it has to be this way" Elizabeth tried explain without her tears making everything sound so heartbreakingly tormenting. She looked into Charlie's eyes pleading him to understand. He was hurt, his eyes were looking at her in pain. Richard sat back eyes pinned on the plate in front of him, already aware of what Elizabeth had to do. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to do this, to convince her to stay and things will be alright, but he couldn't. As selfish and cold as it seemed, he couldn't tell Elizabeth to drop the whole thing with Georgie and stay here with her sister.

Darcy wasn't even thinking anymore, it was the most amazing thing to hear Elizabeth say her mother was thinking about taking on finding Georgie, but look what it cost her. She had to move out, away from her sister and no longer associate with any of them. Just as he was getting closer here was Lotus fucking up everything. He just ruined a happy home coming here and trying to get Elizabeth's help; Jane was in tears and Elizabeth sat next to him making a great sacrifice for him and his family. What could he say? This was a very tough position to be in, he could walk away and try and find Georgie himself which could kill her or he would stay and tear apart Jane and Charlie's relationship with Elizabeth.

"You'll be safe here with us, have we not kept you safe so far?" Jane asked hurting with the feeling of not being seen as a good enough protector for her sister.

"You and Charlie are wonderful, but this isn't about us. This is about protecting the lives we have and getting Darcy's sister back. We know Lotus isn't a group of stupid thugs, they'll make the connection if they see us all together and who knows what they'll do. They've murdered people; they have Darcy's sister and are moving drugs around the country, they're monsters who will eat up anything that gets in their way. Do you really want them to stripping us of ever having the lives we dream about in the future? I want you two to have the family you always talk about, I want nieces and nephews shit I want my own family one day, but we are not going to have those kind of lives if we don't keep Lotus off our trail" Elizabeth was past being sad and very firmly on the road to making everyone understand why this was their only option. "The way I see it, we can lay low and go through the hardships now so that we can live safe and happily ever after later".

"So this is because of Darcy?" Jane flared in anger that Darcy brought his problems between her and Elizabeth.

"Jane this is about doing what's right. I would go to the end of the Earth if it were you in Georgiana's situation, risking everything to get you back because I love you. What's happened to Georgiana was an act of pure evil ruthlessness. I can't sit here and do nothing when I have the resources and connections to help. I don't know a thing about her aside from the fact that she is related to Rich and Darcy, but that doesn't mean anything; she's an innocent human being that deserves to be home with the people that love her" Elizabeth said in a calm leveled tone. Jane was just trying to protect her, she was entitled to the anger she felt.

"And what about you, don't you deserve to be with the people that love you?" Jane threw back at Elizabeth.

"I'm not being held by criminals" Elizabeth's voice was soft, not wanting to get into an argument with Jane when emotions were running wild.

Silence struck the dinner table like lightning breaking through a thunder storm. No one moved, but there wasn't a heart sitting at the table that wasn't racing. Breaking out of his shock Charlie finally spoke.

"You have our support Bugs" came Charlie's soft voice. He spent most of the conversation leaned back in his chair clearly lost in thought. "We all decided that we would try and help to find Georgiana, but we never took into account how you would be effected. We brought you into this mess and here you are doing exactly what we asked, I'm sorry for how everything has turned out, but what you did was not easy. I know this is just as hard for you as it is for us, but thank you for being an amazing person Bugs. No matter what we are always going to be family" Charlie grabbed Elizabeth's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Jane stood and left the table tears streaming down her face; Elizabeth was her little sister and the thought of being separated from her again was unbearable.

"I'll talk to her" Charlie stopped Elizabeth from going after Jane, leaving her sitting at the table with the other two people who had remained silent throughout the conversation.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth, I never meant for things to turn out this way" Darcy said, his voice was so low had Elizabeth not been sitting next to him she wouldn't have heard him.

"It's not your fault; you did what any loving sibling would do. My sister has a strong case of separation anxiety. Jane had to go through 13 years of her life thinking her sister was dead… I didn't have that kind of weight on my heart; I didn't even know I had a sister" Elizabeth couldn't imagine the turmoil running through Jane right now, she dealt with not having a sister for half of her life only to find out it was a lie. Jane was a fighter and Elizabeth needed her sister to know she was never gonna loose her again.

Thinking that she should talk to Darcy about the other more personal issue between them she asked Richard if he could put her bags in the back of Rico. When Richard left she stood and motioned Darcy over to the corner of the deck.

"Things are awkward right?" she asked leaning against the railings and looking up at the sky.

"Elizabeth, I don't know what to say," Darcy cared deeply for the woman standing beside him, he wanted to help fix things but there was nothing he could do. He was a threat to anyone he was near; there was no way he going to let Elizabeth get hurt more than she is now.

"Listen, I can handle this, once your sister is returned things will fall back into place and everything will be alright" she replied, staying positive was key. No matter how handsome and adorable Darcy looked caring about her, she was going to leave.

"But your family…"

"Will always love each other" she interrupted scooting closer to Darcy and covering his hand that was holding onto the railing with hers. "My family is safe, Georgiana belongs at home with her family" she finished looking into his eyes determined to make him see the sincerity in her words.

"I can never repay the service you have done for my sister… for me" Darcy spoke softly, every part of him lost in the hazel eyes piercing his soul. The feel of Elizabeth's hand on his was comforting; he wanted her, he needed her.

Elizabeth felt the warmth of his words wrap around her heart, her pulse was racing and without thinking she lifted Darcy's hand off the railing and slipped her body in front of his; her back pressed to the railings and she was facing him arms wrapped around his waist. Thinking that since she had to leave him, she at least deserved one more moment of perfectness in his arms, tightening her grip around his waist she whispered,

"I can think of one way you can thank me" she whispered slowly with pleading puppy dog eyes and a cute little pout resting on her lips.

"Elizabeth, I can't" Darcy whispered against her forehead where he concealed his eyes which were dark with desire. Knowing the moment his lips touched hers he wouldn't be able to stop he knew refusing her was the only way to control how much he wanted to devour her body with love.

"You can't what?" Elizabeth felt the pang of rejection; did he not want her anymore? Was he just after getting her to talk to her mother? She pulled back and tried to remove herself from the intimate position she put herself in, cursing herself for behaving like a silly crush struck teenager.

"No, Elizabeth stop" Darcy pleaded grabbing her hands and returning them to their position wrapped around his waist. "You've misunderstood. I do not possess the restraint to kiss you just once" his heart was pounding and his voice became deep and seductive, "Elizabeth if I kiss you now, it will be difficult for me to let you walk away" he whispered, his lips softly touching her ear, moving lower to nuzzle the side of her neck. He was losing himself in her sweet hypnotizing scent of plumeria, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply he lost control and let his lips touch her skin. Feeling Elizabeth's hands tighten around his waist was torture and his tongue began drawing circles on her shoulder his hands tangled in her soft chocolate hair.

Richard walked onto the deck coming back from moving Elizabeth's bags to her jeep and found them in this position. He could have walked away and left them knowing it would be their last free moments together for some time, but Charlie had asked him to get Elizabeth for him. Clearing his throat to announce his presence he watched as Elizabeth and Darcy jumped apart, flushed at being caught in such an intimate state.

"Uh sorry, but Charlie asked me to get you Bugs" Richard said innocently. His usual character would have him looking smug and ready to release a full wrath of teasing, but with the current state of affairs he felt more guilt seeing how perfect they looked together.

Elizabeth's face was burning red from both passion and embarrassment, righting her appearance and pulling her hair over her shoulder to cover the now bruised skin she walked into the house without saying a word to either gentlemen on the deck. Grabbing a cardigan from the coat closet she walked towards the living room where Charlie and Jane were seated on the couch. Charlie rose from his seat next to Jane and walked towards her. He gave he a comforting smile and squeezed her shoulder before leaving the room. Elizabeth looked at Jane sitting on the couch her eyes pinned on the rug face stained red from crying. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth took the seat next to her sister and waited for Jane to say something.

Jane was heartbroken, but Charlie was right; Elizabeth was doing what was right for Georgiana. It was hard for Jane to accept Elizabeth leaving; memories of her lonely childhood flooded her with overwhelming feelings of not being able to be an older sister to Elizabeth for 13 years. All those years feeling alone and then finding out Elizabeth existed was devastating; Jane felt like a failure and once she was reunited with Elizabeth she promised to always be there for her, which was what Elizabeth need now even though it hurt like hell. Jane had to suck it up and support her, regardless if it killed her to watch her go; she would stand by her.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours; Elizabeth saw the tears streaming down Jane's eyes and she averted her eyes to the wall directly in front of her to keep her own tears from falling. Swallowing down the lump in her throat she took Jane's hand in her own and squeezed it to let Jane know everything was going to be alright. Feeling Jane's head rest on her shoulder, Elizabeth's heart dropped to the floor; her sister's shaking body hit the reality of separation on the nail.

"I love you always sissy" Elizabeth whispered once Jane's cry subsided and her breathing became slower, exhausted from the blast of emotions. Jane didn't reply which Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at. Charlie who had been watching from the bottom of the stairs walked over and lifted his wife's sleeping body. Elizabeth kissed her sisters forehead and pecked Charlie on the cheek.

"I'll call you guys tomorrow, thanks big brother" She said following Charlie up the stairs.

"No, thank you Bugs. She's sad that's all, but we both love you, very much" Charlie assured walking to is bedroom to put his wife down.

Elizabeth packed a few personal belongs she would need and descended the stairs. Dinner had not lasted long so she had plenty of time to get to the penthouse before her mother returned from dinner.

"You know, the four large suitcases were pretty heavy, are you sure you need more?" Richard stated sarcastically getting up from his position on the couch to help Elizabeth with the two more bags filled with her belongings.

"Hey, I don't like forgetting things. Plus I brought most of my stuff from the penthouse here so I need to replenish the stock" She smiled at her best friend's joking nature. Richard had a way at making a horrible situation seem a little lighter, a rare gem in Elizabeth's opinion.

"Well I'll throw these in your jeep and then I'm out of here, I got to be in court tomorrow. So I guess this is it Bugs" he said putting the most sincere smile he could form in such a sad moment. Hanging out with Elizabeth was the best; she was the best.

"Aww come on, I'll call and text you this isn't goodbye it's… I'll see you soon" Elizabeth eyes glistened and she pulled her bags from Richards grasped and hugged her best friend tightly.

"Right" Richard's voice cracked with emotion. "Thank you, really thank you" he said pulling back and conveying his sincere gratitude to Elizabeth for talking to her mother about Georgiana.

"Don't thank me Rich, we still have to wait for The Compound to pick up her case" Elizabeth said more seriously walking with Richard towards the garage where Rico was parked.

She said watched Richard drive off and stood in the drive way silently hoping her mother would return with news that The Compound would take on finding Georgiana. As much as she wanted to be involved if they did take on the case, it was practically impossible and there was no way her mother was going to agree to it considering the way she reacted on the jet. Looking up to the dark starlit sky she closed her eyes and prayed for good news went she returned to the penthouse. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned and saw Darcy approaching. Thoughts of his lips on her flooded her mind causing her pulse to quicken and she unconsciously bit her lip in anticipation of the kiss she was determined to get before she left.

Darcy's eyes darted to her lips and his eyes smoldered in hunger. Elizabeth really had no idea what the sight of her biting her lip did to him; he closed the space between them and wrapped his hands around her small waist, pressing her body firmly against his own.

"Stop doing that" he growled low and deep.

"Doing what?" Elizabeth feigned confusion

"Stop biting your lip, I want to do that" and he did. Incasing her lower lip with his mouth sliding his tongue across its surface and softly biting down pulling back teasingly letting it go; returning to its owner.

Elizabeth lost all sense of coherent thoughts feeling Darcy's tongue graze her lip, his response was easily accepted and Elizabeth only wanted more. She pushed away from him and walked back towards the house pulling him behind her. Making out in the driveway was not very smart considering there were four cameras placed surveillancing their every move. Elizabeth knew exactly where to go to get away from the cameras considering she had personally wired the house's surveillance equipment. Pushing the garage door closure she dragged Darcy into the hall and pulled him into the linen room. Aside from the bedrooms and bathrooms, the linen room and coat closet were the only other rooms in the house that weren't wired with cameras. Seeing as though the linen room was the nearest she shut the door and pushed her back against the door pulling Darcy's body hard against hers

"What was that about?" Darcy surprised at Elizabeth's sudden change of scenery. He was a bit flushed by how fast she was moving and pulling him around.

Elizabeth tilted her head up and shrugging her shoulders pretending to want to leave she turn and grabbed the door knob and said, "If you want Charlie to watch us making out on the camera feed that runs 24/7 in his and Jane's room fine by me".

"I love you" Elizabeth was staring into Darcy's eyes realizing that there wasn't any other person who'd she want to share emotions like this with. Darcy was the only man that she would want to touch her intimately, to kiss her. As confused as she was about all the feelings running through her body the past two days, this was the only thing she was certain of; she was in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy. Seeing him freeze and pull back from her released a feeling of shock inside her. "Shit, I said that out loud didn't I?" Complete mortification at her words spread like wild fire and she wanted to run and hide, but Darcy didn't move from in front of her, he just stared at her.

"Say it again" Darcy spoke feeling everything in his body burn with fire at her confession.

Gulping down the lump forming in her throat, she caved seeing Darcy's eyes smother her with a look that swallowed her whole. Sitting up so she was closer to his body at the edge of the table, her hands slip behind his neck. Bringing her face closer to his she whispered with complete certainty in her voice, "I love you".

"Elizabeth, you must know how ardently I admire and love you; you have bewitched me, body and soul" (2) he said low and deeply onto her lips. The words left his mouth before he even processed a thought; it felt so right to finally say them to her. Is heart had known it since the moment they met, but professing them out loud sealed his fate; he belonged to her.

"Mio caro, ti voglio bene. Ho bisogno di te"(3) she muttered letting her Italian side take over her to explain it all.

"You're Italian?" Darcy's eyes widened at the way she spoke the foreign language her accent spot on.

"Not by blood, but my father is Italian" Elizabeth arched her eyebrows at his sudden break in the moment.

Picking up his hand to check the time, her eyes broadened at the realization that she had twenty minutes to get to the penthouse before her mother would return from dinner. "Shit, I have to go" she said quickly pushing Darcy away and jumping off the folding table.

"Elizabeth, must you leave now?" Darcy grabbed her hand to keep her from moving further away from him, his eyes pleading her to stay.

"Me leaving changes nothing, I meant what I said, I love you" Elizabeth didn't to go, but thoughts of Darcy's family overpowered any of her current feelings; leaving was inevitable, but that didn't make it easy.

Squeezing his hand and pulling him forward, she opened the door to the linen room and they walked out towards the garage. She pushed the garage opener and walked towards Rico, turning to embrace Darcy one last time.

"This is the hardest goodbye I've ever had to make" Darcy confessed his voice hoarse with emotion, he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

"Then don't say goodbye. Just kiss me, tell me you love me and promise to call me tomorrow" Elizabeth held him tighter her chin resting on his chest and eyes looking up to him in comfort. She was feeling the pang of goodbye too, but was determined to be his rock of support.

Darcy bent his head and captured her lips with throbbing pain of separation that consumed him. He ended the kiss placing his forehead against hers and whispering, "Elizabeth you complete me, and until I hold you again a piece of me will always be missing. I love you, don't ever doubt that".

"Il mio cuore è solo tuo"(4) she said beaming at him like a silly teenager, seeing the guy she was crushing on looking her way.

"I need to hear you speak like that more often" Darcy returned her smile and nuzzled the tip of her nose with his.

"What, I love you in English is not enough, you need it in two languages?" Elizabeth question playfully trying to make departing a little easier.

"Only language I need to hear it in is that which your heart speaks. But I will not deny Italian is just so damn tormentingly sexy" he grinned his lips finding hers and kissing them briefly before he felt her pull away from him and turn to the door he opened for her.

"You still didn't promise to call me" Elizabeth scolded hoping into the driver seat and buckling her seatbelt.

"I promise" Darcy whispered bending his head inside her window and kissing her one last time. "I love you" he whispered against her lips.

"I love you" Elizabeth whispered back eyes locking with his to convey her feelings completely.

She started Rico and backed out of the garage, looking through the passenger window at Darcy who was standing in the driveway watching her. Giving him a small wave she drove off releasing a deep breath that trembled with the gut wrenching feel of leaving a part of her behind.

Handing her keys to the valet, she told him about her bags in the trunk and took the elevator up to her parent's penthouse suite at the top of the Watt hotel. Walking into the entrance hall she saw her mother's coat hanging over the chair, remembering the hickey Darcy put on her shoulder she kept her cardigan on and went to the living room where she knew her mother would be waiting.

"Mom" she greeted taking a seat across from her.

"How did it go?" Maddy asked feeling a bit guilty that Elizabeth had to leave the Bingley's on such short notice and under such unconventional terms.

"Jane was really hurt, but essentially she and Charlie understood the threat of the current circumstances" she replied softly, no longer against her mother's wishes for separation.

"I'm sorry Lizzie, I know that was a very awkward position to be in, but I think you will be happy to know that after further discussion with VP Lucas, The Compound will he handling Georgiana's case. If you will schedule a meeting for noon tomorrow at the usual place for Compound consultations VP Lucas and I will go over particulars with Mr. Darcy and whomever else he wishes to have with him" Maddy said, her expression warm and compassionate towards Darcy's plight.

"Thank you mom, I mean not just for hearing me out, but for understanding" Elizabeth looked at her mother in admiration.

"There is one other thing Lizzie" Maddy's body stiffened and it made Elizabeth apprehensive to hear what was to follow. "You'll be fly to Washington to begin your training sessions. The bugs and tracer you planted revealed that Cartier has left Boston and is in Texas where he was photographed by one of our agents entering Blake automotive warehouse earlier today. Our agents were successful in bugging the facility and we're now waiting to see if anything comes up. That being said having you properly trained to accompany them as on scene diagnostics is more important. So in keeping with the deal we made, you have exactly three months before your 20th birthday; you're deadline to get active duty clearance" Maddy finished looking at her daughter for her reaction.

Elizabeth's jaw dropped in shock, everything was moving so quickly, the way her mother was staring at her meant she needed to decide now what to do.

"When do I leave?" she whispered realization of her separation from all the people she loved here in San Francisco was growing further.

"In three hours, you will not be joining VP Lucas and I during the consultation. This will be my final offer Lizzie" Maddy said tone firm and unmoving.

"I'll be ready" Elizabeth decided to take her mother's offer and nodded her head in understanding.

"Well then, I suggest you get some rest, the agency is expecting you at 0900" Maddy instructed her heart dropping at Elizabeth's determination to throw herself into such a dangerous lifestyle.

"Mom, don't be sad. I want to do this" Elizabeth took the seat next to her mother and placed her hand on top of hers.

"Lizzie, I'm your mother, how else am I supposed to react when you're so resolved on do this?"

"I don't know mom, but I do know that I won't be able to do it without you and papa's support"

"That you will always have sweetheart" Maddy said her voice strained with emotion.

"I love you" Elizabeth assured her mother and embraced her. After wising her a good night Elizabeth walked to her room and lost herself in thought analyzing every event that occurred that day. Closing her eyes and trying to calm her racing pulse she let sleep take over hopping to have answers when she woke for her flight to Washington.

* * *

** A/N:Mature version of this chapter is posted under C.F.H(MV)**

I would like to apologize, I'm sure there are hundreds of grammar and spelling errors as it is very long and reading it through twice was just too tedious for me to be serious about finding them all.

**Images In Profile:**

(1)Elizabeth's Dinner Dress

(2) All rights belong to Jane Austen

(3) Italian: My dear, I love you. I need you

(4)Italian: My heart is yours.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: Another Good Bye**

"Lizzie, time to get up" Maddy shook her daughter awake for her flight to CIA OT headquarters in Washington. Allowing Elizabeth to begin her operative training was a tough decision. The training would be hard both mentally and physically. Knowing her daughter was going through such intense treatment unsettled every nerve in her body.

Elizabeth began to stir, her eyes opening to find her mother shaking her awake. Adjusting to the light and sitting up, it finally dawned on her that she was going to be leaving San Francisco for a much longer period then her last trip.

"Morning mom, did you not make it bed" she said groggily taking in her mother's appearance, still clothed in the outfit she had worn to dinner with VP Lucas.

"Right, like I am supposed to sleep knowing my daughter would be leaving for OT in a few hours" Maddy said stroking Elizabeth's bed head curls down.

"I'll be fine, have you told Papa?"

"Yes, we discussed it before you arrived yesterday. He's going to video call you on the jet. I've spoken to OT headquarters and they've taken care of everything regarding your arrival and training. Lizzie, I'm well aware that you are a hard worker and will be able to manage just find in the program, but I'll advise you everyone there will know you are my daughter don't take any crap from anyone unless it is a direct order from a training officer is that understood?" Maddy warned knowing the conditions of training and how people will treat her daughter; suspecting some sort of favoritism installed on her part.

"Mom, I've never taken shit from anyone; you and Papa have made sure of that. I don't intend on starting now" Elizabeth said stepping into her bathroom and hopping into the shower.

"That's my girl" Maddy said to herself, leaving the room to take care of Elizabeth's transportation to the airstrip.

Elizabeth was on the Gardiner jet an hour later. Saying goodbye to her mother was emotional seeing as though they would not be seeing each other for three months with the exception of via video chat. She was scheduled to land in D.C at 8:00 am EST; leaving SF at 1:00am with only two hours of rest was brutal. Taking out her phone she remembered she was supposed to set up a meeting with Darcy and The Compound. Clicking his contact info to call him completely aware that he was probably asleep; she was right. Getting his voice mail, she left him instructions on the protocol to Compound consolations and wished him good luck at the meeting. Exhaling deeply Elizabeth knew she would have to tell him of her leaving San Francisco when he called her later, but before that there were two people that needed to know she wasn't coming back for a while.

* * *

Jane was a bit frightened hearing the ringtone of her phone go off waking her from her sleep, checking the clock on the night stand and adjusting her eyes to read the numbers, she groaned in realization that it was only one in the morning. Flipping on the night stand lamp causing Charlie place a pillow over his eyes, she rose from the bed and walked to her phone that was on the dresser charging dock. Screening the caller's ID her eyes widen in concern seeing it was Elizabeth calling.

"Bugs?" she said sleepily into the phone.

"Sorry sissy, I know it's early" Elizabeth replied running possible statements in her head about how to tell Jane about where she was going.

"Where are you, your voice sounds like a faint echo? Are you on a plane?" Jane walked back to the bed where Charlie was fast asleep.

"Listen, Maddy is meeting with Darcy today, The Compound is taking on Georgiana's case, but that's not why I called, Jane I'm going to be gone for a while"

"You're not making any sense; I know you're staying at the Watt now" Jane didn't know if it was the fact that it was one in the morning or if Elizabeth was really losing it, but something was odd about this conversation.

"No, I'm on the jet headed to DC. I'm starting my operative training and I won't be back until I've finished" Elizabeth clarified, taking the long pause that followed her statement as Jane's realization to the situation.

"Elizabeth, what are you say?" Jane's voice trembled into the phone.

"I'm saying that I'm not in San Francisco anymore and won't be coming back for at least three months"

"First you say you say you're moving out and now you're saying that you're going away" Jane didn't like these unexpected surprises Elizabeth had recently sprung on her. Things with Elizabeth were always well planned out and since Darcy's arrival it's as if she completely had her life flipped over.

"Sissy take a deep breath, I know this is all crazy, but Maddy said if I didn't take the opening at OT now, she wouldn't give me the opportunity again and you know how much I want to be a field agent. Jane please understand that this is my chance to be something bigger than just me; I want to do good in this world" Elizabeth pleaded.

Jane let go of the breath she was holding and brought her hand to her head to relieve some of the tension building up. Hearing Elizabeth's emotional plea was another one of those defense mechanisms that she was no match for. Nudging Charlie awake she told him to hold on and returned her focus to Elizabeth.

"Call me the second you have a chance?" Jane said in a demanding protective older sister voice.

"You'll be the first" Elizabeth reassured, smiling into the phone.

"Bugs, I'm always here when you need me, please be careful. Here let me put the phone on speaker, Charlie's listening" Jane replied turning the phone on speaker.

"Hello?" Charlie spoke, trying to sound awake.

"Would you wake up big brother? This is important" Elizabeth said teasingly into the phone, rolling her eyes at how much of a character Charlie was.

"I'm up, what's going on?"

"I'm on a jet for DC, Jane will give you all the particulars, but I'm just calling to let you two know I love you both very much and that I'll see the both of you soon" she said her heart melting at her announcement.

Charlie threw a questioning look at Jane, who was leaning her back against the headboard eyes looking sadly at the phone resting on the bed.

"We love you too" Charlie replied lightly, feeling this separation was not going to roll over well with his wife.

"I'll call when I can. Just remember if anyone asks I'm in Boston dealing with glitches in the system" she reminded, disconnecting the phone after saying her goodbyes.

She wanted to call Richard, but remembered he had to be in court in a few hours, so she sent a quick text instead saying she was going to S.A.I.A headquarters to handle a huge system failure. As much as she wanted to tell him and Darcy the truth, the topic of working for the agency and CIA was sensitive. Telling Jane and Charlie wasn't that complicated, they would do anything to protect her; they were family. It would be four more hours til the jet landed in DC, with a huge day ahead of her, Elizabeth decided to get a few hours of shut eye.

* * *

Waking up and seeing he missed a call from Elizabeth was a bitter sweet feeling for Darcy. After listening to the voicemail she left him he was astonished, The Compound agreed to find Georgie. However that wasn't the part of the voicemail that surprised him, it was the unusual location of where he would be meeting the heads of The Compound. After placing a quick call to Richard to meet him at noon to attend the consultation with him Darcy wanted to call Elizabeth, but didn't want to wake her considering it was only 7:00am.

Thirty minutes before noon he spotted Richard waiting for him outside the entrance to the SF Zoo and after presenting their IDs at the third ticket window, they were given a tour guide and escorted towards the shark tank exhibit.

"This is exciting" Richard beamed like a child in a candy store.

"Really? Because I was going more for weird and creepy" Darcy said sarcastically. He really felt nervous; the instructions Elizabeth left him were odd, why would they be holding their consultation here at the SF Zoo? It was far too cryptic for him.

"It's all super secretive and suspense building, you can't tell me this isn't over the top intriguing"

Darcy gave Richard a look that meant to grow up and get serious.

"Shit, I know Bugs would be soaking this up. She digs mysterious adventure type stuff" Richard rolled his eyes at Darcy's uptight serious attitude towards everything.

Hearing the mention of Elizabeth made his face flash weakness for a second. Last night would have been perfect if he had protection; waking up and hearing her voice on his voicemail was a great way to start the day. What would have been even better is if he woke up with her next to him. Waking up with Elizabeth would make getting out of bed impossible; he could not wait for that day to come. Thinking about her now, he was determined to hear her voice again after the meeting.

The park guide, or who they thought was a normal park guide, led them to the employee entrance to the shark tanks. Darcy's uneasiness multiplied by ten while Richard looked like he was going to die of amusement. They were surrounded by tank walls whose waters were swarming with sharks. Finally they made it to an artificial rock wall where the park employee slid his I'd card and the wall pulled back opening up into a large room whose ceiling and walls were shaped like a half dome and completely covered with glass. Above the glass swam thousands of different species of fish and water creatures. Darcy had to admit, the room was remarkable. Situated in the middle was a large conference table and three women and a man whom Darcy had never seen before.

"Mrs. Gardiner a pleasure to see you again" came Richard's voice from behind him. Darcy watched as Richard walked towards the woman seated at the head of the table and gave her a warm handshake. Richard usually called her Maddy, but with the nature of the meeting decided professionalism was in order.

"Hello Richard, this must be Mr. Darcy I presume?" Maddy said pulling away and walking over to shake Darcy's hand.

"Mrs. Gardiner, thank you for meeting with us" Darcy said politely to the woman he now identified to be Elizabeth's mother.

Maddy nodded slightly and proceeded to introduce the other people in the room. "This is Vice President of The Compound Charlotte Lucas and these are the two agents that will be assigned to your case, Mr. Gary Timely and Mrs. Kelly Lowe. Everyone this is our client Mr. Fitwilliam Darcy and his cousin Richard Fitzwilliam".

After pleasantries were made and Maddy took Darcy's account of what occurred to lead to Georgiana's kidnapping, Maddy went on with normal procedure and laid everything out on the table for Darcy and Richard regarding things would be handled.

"Mr. Darcy as you can see, we have assigned two agents to your sister's case. They will work alongside our current team dealing with Lotus, their job will be to to red flag any useful information that will lead to your sister's location. When we learn anything new, you'll be contacted immediately; you might be able to offer us a different angle on the intel that could help us" Maddy stared pointedly at Darcy for his acknowledgment of what she just said.

"How long does a process like this usually take?" Darcy questioned.

Charlotte looked at Maddy for her attention that she would answer Mr. Darcy's question. "Well normally the Compound closes case within 3 to 4 weeks, but this is no ordinary criminal we are dealing with. I'm afraid I cannot tell you how long it will be before we actually finalize a rescue mission regarding Miss Darcy. However, if I may Mr. Darcy, The Compound has never taken on a case without complete confidence in closing it out" Charlotte answered hoping to relieve some of their client's worries.

"It's been two weeks since she went missing, with your dealings with situations like this what is your honest opinion then, regarding the handling and condition of Georgiana?" Richard asked a bit hesitantly, he needed to hear what they had to say, but that didn't mean he wasn't completely terrified of their answer.

"If you want the truth, with what I've seen from Lotus I would have wrote her off as dead and thrown in a ditch somewhere, but considering familial ties the Darcy's hold with an essential member like Wickham I'll say there is a 90 percent chance that Miss Darcy is still alive. As to her condition, well that would leave your guess being just as good as mine" Charlotte answered as truthfully as she knew how. Sugar coating was not going to make it easy on anyone, they needed to be prepared for the possibility that the girl wasn't alive and if she was she most likely wasn't being treated like a princess.

"Is there anything we can do to speed up this process? money is no object..." Darcy pleaded, but was cut off.

"Mr. Darcy I'm afraid your case is very touch and go at the moment. All we can do is keep looking for clues that can lead us closer. Broadcasting our search would endanger your sister; the fewer people who know the better. With that, in front of you is the contract regarding our agreement to assist in finding your sister. I'm sure as a lawyer you'll want to go over it before signing so let me just state the most important terms of that agreement" Charlotte knew Darcy to be an intelligent man, but for the protection of the agency felt pointing out very specific clauses was necessary. After seeing that she had the gentlemen's attention, she proceeded. "Immediate termination will occur at The Compound's discretion if you have been found to have violated the gag order portion of the contract. The Compound is not an agency of public knowledge and we'd like to keep it that way. By our discretion I mean by a board of five members one of whom is sitting to my left. So not speaking includes friends, family and media ect. Of course Mr. Fitzwilliam will have to sign on also since he has accompanied you. Also, if you are found to be withholding essential information and your accountability becomes questionable not only will the contract be void, but you may find yourself put in holding. Just so we are on the same page, while we may be working for you, full disclosure is required in order to do our jobs Mr. Darcy" She finished looking pointedly at the men seated on the other side of the table.

"Of course nothing means more than getting Georgiana back" Darcy replied without hesitation. Throughout the meeting Richard looked over the contract, after finding everything agreeable he turned to Darcy and nodded his approval.

After signing the dotted line Darcy wanted to know exactly what the agency already knew about Lotus.

"Since you have agreed to take on Georgiana's case may I assume then that you've made some progress on Lotus?" He asked his mask firmly in place to hide the itching feeling of the unexpected that was burning inside him.

"We were able to locate American members of the group; our hopes are that they will lead us to someone with higher position and eventually to your sister"

"How soon will we know any updates regarding Georgiana?" Richard asked.

"As soon as we have confirmation, we'll check every lead we get and if there is anything useful you'll know immediately. However you must understand this isn't done like some twitter feed update, there are orders of operations to consider, but rest assure you'll know all the essentials regarding your sister's case" Charlotte answered. Seeing as the agents across from her were the backbone to locating and extracting Georgiana she felt getting them involved in this consultation would help the client feel a little more relaxed with their handling of the case. "Agent Lowe is going to be running the logistics angle of the case while Agent Timely here will take care of any field observations. Please do not hesitate to contact them if you have any questions or concerns".

"Well gentlemen I think that about covers everything on our side of the table, if there aren't any other issues you'd little to address I think we can conclude this meeting" Maddy spoke, thinking the consultation went well.

"I'm quite confident in your agency, thank you for taking on Georgiana's case Mrs. Gardiner" Darcy replied rising to shake hands with Maddy and all the others situated at the table.

Richard and Darcy went their separate ways upon leaving the zoo; Darcy back to the office and Richard back to his penthouse. Darcy was having a mixture of emotions running through him; glad to have The Compound finally looking for Georgiana and at the same time a pang of heartbreak that Elizabeth wasn't with him to share in the news, of course she already knew, but it was moments like this he wanted to experience with her; in truth he never wanted to be parted from her again. After closing the door to his office and asking Sarah to give him an hour of undisturbed personal time he sat behind his desk and called Elizabeth.

"Hey it's Elizabeth, sorry I missed your call. Leave me a message and I'll try my best to get back to you, bye." came Elizabeth's recorded voice through the receiver.

Darcy's anticipation to hear Elizabeth pick up fell to the floor, after leave a quick message for her to call him when she could he hung up and dropped the phone to his desk. Relationships were never his strong point, but when Elizabeth came into his life he couldn't remember what it was like to live without her. Having to stay away from her was going to be harder than he thought, especially considering the separation hit home when she didn't pick up.

* * *

Stepping out of the town and country Lincoln that picked her up from the airstrip Elizabeth took a deep breath and walked into the entrance of the CIA training building. She was immediately greeted by a receptionist who upon hearing Elizabeth's name stood and walked around the desk to greet her properly. Elizabeth's heart was pounding rapidly with every floor the elevator rose. When the elevators opened she felt like she stepped into a whole new world. Everything about the building and furnishings screamed state-of-the-art futuristic technology. Bodies of people dressed uniformly were scurrying around focused on their own tasks, but when she stepped out they froze and stared. A man who looked near his 60s approached her.

"Miss Gardiner, I'm Devin Greene; Warden of OT. Welcome." The Warden greeted her, holding out his hand; he was a good friend of Maddy's and was well aware of Elizabeth's talents and accomplishment within the agency. Having her in the program was more of an honor and privilege than anything else.

"Thank you Warden Greene" Elizabeth was completely nervous inside, but showed none of it and firmly shook the man's hand.

"Let me show you to your living quarters and introduce you to a few important people you'll be working with during your time here" Warden Greene said sweeping his hand towards the corridor located to his left.

Elizabeth followed behind the Warden as he pointed out different rooms and offices. Stopping at one door and turning to her.

"Here is your first stop Miss Gardiner, you'll be issued you wardrobe for the remainder of you stay. I'll give you thirty minutes to get your required attire and return to begin your official tour" Warden said, turning and walking away, leaving Elizabeth staring at his retreating figure.

She entered the room and was greeted by an attendant who was friendly and assisted her with getting a weeks worth of uniform and training gear. After changing and having all her new belongings put into a duffle bag she stepped out into the hall and found the Warden waiting for her.

"Ah Miss Gardiner, come now you have your first analysis scheduled in an hour and we have quite a bit of ground to cover " Warden Greene announced leading the way towards a set of elevators. While the elevators descended he handed her a large folder filled with program rules, regulations and expectations. "You'll need to know everything in that folder by tomorrow's training session, you're program is a special case; you'll be expected to move at a faster pace than anyone else. Because of such a request you have been placed with the agency's most vigorous trainer and your handler has been chosen by the Director" he said motioning for Elizabeth to step out of the elevator.

The doors of the elevator opened to reveal an all white symmetrical corridor with equal identical doors running along its sides.

"These are the living quarters of our trainees, here is your room" Warden Greene stopped in front of door number 403 and slid a key card which opened the room. "All your belongings have already been brought up, go ahead and put down your bag and we'll go and meet you program managers" He insisted handing Elizabeth the card he just used and waiting in the hall while she entered the room.

Elizabeth looked around and thought it would probably be best described as a studio, the walls were painted neutral navajo, there was a full sized bed, a large flat screen mounted opposite the bed, a desk in the corner and a wardrobe closet. As nerve wrecking as this whole thing was, she found relief in the fact that she had her own bathroom. She deposited her duffle bag on the settee at the foot of her bed and walked out the room. The Warden took her to the 5th floor right above her living quarters and opened the room at the end of the hall revealing a white lab room with an examination chair in the middle and machines and wires surrounding it. The chair and machines were incased by glass walls, leaving Elizabeth to assume whoever was seated in the chair was under observation and study by those outside the glass walls. A jolt of uncertainty about the whole set up ran through her body. Walking further into the room she saw two men sitting behind large flat screen monitors, clicking and working as if prepping for the launch of some sort of test.

"Major, this is Miss Elizabeth Gardiner, you're new recruit. Miss Gardiner this is Major Logan Pierce of the US Air Force, you're course instructor" Logan looked at Elizabeth taking in her appearance. Before she arrived he was informed of her situation requiring a year's worth of training summed up in three months and he immediately decided to loath the girl that thought her mother's position would gain her special treatment. Taking in her innocent face and pretty girl appearance he was determined to break her confidence and send her back to where ever she came from; her mother being the Director didn't intimidate him, he wasn't going to go cut her any slack. Nodding his head coldly and glaring he received eyes just a fierce and intense as his which was unexpected.

"And this is Agent Kyle Dansky, you're handler, anything you need or have questions about, Agent Dansky is who you'd go to" Warden Green said watching while the two politely greeted each other. "Now that you all have been introduced I'll let you get to work" He said politely excusing himself to allow Elizabeth's training to begin. While he knew Major Logan was going to be tough and over bearing, the Director's choice of Agent Dansky as her handler was brilliant; Dansky was great at the psychological aspect of the job. Elizabeth was in good hands and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would succeed.

"We're just going to run a few test to locate our starting point for your training" Kyle said walking Elizabeth over to the hot seat.

This wasn't Elizabeth's typical environment, whenever she entered a CIA building she was usually a behind the scenes person, here she was unsure of what was going to happen next. Her pulse was quickening causing her breathing to become off balanced. Kyle was sticking electrodes to her temple and near her chest.

"Why would you need to monitor my heart beat and pulse if you're testing my intelligence?" she asked feeling like an experiment being poked and prodded at.

"So we can determine how good you can cover up a mistake or wrong answer and wing your way through tough situations. Now just try and relax, this is only to help us see what areas you need the most help with so we don't waste a second of the small window of time we've been given to carry out your program" Kyle said turning to seal the glass door and reposition himself behind the computer monitor to begin the test.

"She's a child Dansky, how are we supposed to train that into a CIA operative in three months?" Logan questioned after releasing a breath of frustration at the predicament he has been placed in.

"You're a military man Major, so you wouldn't understand, but the woman sitting in front of you isn't some spoiled brat rich kid who just got in because her mother is the Director. Elizabeth Gardiner is over qualified to be a recruit, don't underestimate her. Didn't you read her file? "Kyle asked while setting up the exam that will focus on finding Elizabeth's weaknesses; testing math, chemistry and general knowledge skills.

"Anyone can look good on paper" Logan spat, eyes practically glaring at Elizabeth's sitting form through the glass.

Kyle burst into laughter, "Yeah, but she also looks good in person" he said, having formed a bit of a crush on Elizabeth since the first time he saw her walk into The Compound earlier that year. They never met before today, but everyone knew the Director's daughter; Elizabeth was the belle of the agency and there wasn't an agent that didn't know it.

"Just start the test" Logan muttered, his insides pinning for Elizabeth to do horribly.

"Okay Gardiner, we're going to start the test. In front of you is a smart board, I'm going to flash a few mathematical equations on screen, solve them as quickly as you can" Kyle informed putting up the equations and watching the feed as Elizabeth's hands moved across the board. She was solving the equations without any effort, most people would need calculators and references, but Elizabeth was solving the equations just as fast as the computer was spitting them out.

"Shit, is she getting them correct?" Logan questioned jaw dropped to the floor.

"Yup" Kyle replied click the intercom to address Elizabeth, "Excellent job Gardiner, now I'm going to put up a group of chemicals, your job is to make me a reaction that will produced whatever end product I desire"

Elizabeth was steady as a rock during the testing, the mathematical and Chemistry portions were simple, but when they started the general knowledge section; foreign language, history, literature and current events she breezed through it all aside from the foreign language portion. The only other languages she knew fluently were Italian, Spanish and French. Kyle was throwing out phrases in Mandarin, German, Arabic and Portuguese. She tried her best to depict cues to break apart the dialect, but it was all confusing.

"Well at least we know you're human" Kyle teased removing the wired patches from Elizabeth's temple and chest.

Elizabeth smiled, "Are there guidelines to how I'm supposed to address you when it comes to authority?"

"I'm just Dansky, but because of rank and nature of your instruction you'll address him as Major Pierce or just Major" Kyle replied nodding his head towards Logan standing behind the glass walls.

"You can go to dinner now; your daily schedule will be posted every night by 9:00pm for the next day. We'll have your training program completely worked out by then" he said walking Elizabeth to the door and holding it open for her.

Elizabeth was shocked at how quickly time flew while she was being examined. Ignoring the vibrating waves coming from her bag she dropped onto her mattress completely exhausted, but knew she had some studying to do and began memorizing the folder the Warden handed her. Most of the material she already knew which was a relief, knowing all the faces and names of a hundred different people plus remembering what the 40 different floors in the building were for was tedious. Finally, her heavy eye lids were granted victory when she felt most of the material was cemented in her brain.

A strange alarm went off jolting Elizabeth from her sleep, looking around the room she found that the flat screen attached to the wall was displaying it was 5:00am and that she was to go over her daily schedule, have breakfast and be on the tenth floor for her first scheduled training. Picking up the papers scattered around her from studying she took a shower, dressed in the required training uniform and went to the dining hall to have a quick breakfast. Remembering how awkward it was eating and having everyone staring at her at dinner the previous day, she was glad to see there wasn't anyone in the hall aside from the employees. Picking up an apple, milk and cereal she scarfed down her breakfast and took the elevator to the upper level training rooms.

"Good morning Gardiner, hope you slept well because today is going to much more physical than yesterday" Kyle said, getting up from the bench press he was seated at.

Elizabeth's eyes widened after taking in the room, it was a modernly furnished gym with all the latest equipment that surrounded a UFC octagon.

"Oh" she replied keeping her lips pressed in the 'O' shape the word produced. She wasn't at all the best fighter, but the couple hours she put in with Agent Trent showed she did have some brute warrior skills inside her and most importantly proved that all those years of forcing Chase to play power rangers with her wasn't totally useless.

"Get in the octagon" Logan said aggressively, he was ready to prove little Miss Gardiner was not cut out for this kind of work. He had to admit she was hands down brilliant, but brilliance wasn't going to win a fist fight. He walked in behind Elizabeth and nodded to Kyle to head up to the viewing box to observe and analyze Elizabeth's skills.

"When you're on a mission there will be times where you are weaponless and need to resort to defending yourself using physical strength" Logan instructed grabbing Elizabeth's hands and positioning them in a defense position in front of her body. He pushed against each one to test her balance. "Plant your feet in a stance ready for an attack, the way you are now a slight breeze will push you over. Let's try again" He pushed against her hands once more and she didn't budge. Seeing Elizabeth's confidence rise made him angry; he wanted to break her and send her packing. Only way he was going to do this was to train her into quitting. As he turned to walk away, he faked and turned back swiftly swinging his leg targeting Elizabeth's stomach. Rather than explaining the exercise he decided to just hit the ground running and see how much Elizabeth had in her.

Seeing Major Logan attacking her, Elizabeth's head immediately clicked to defense mode and she dodge his kick just in time stumbling backwards against the gate wall of the octagon. Logan was coming at her kicking and swinging his fists like a crazed professional assassin. Elizabeth's size allowed her to move quickly to deflect and dodge every strike. Lucky for her, morning runs and an hour a day in the Bingley gym kept her in shape. Otherwise she would probably be lying on the mat stone cold winded. Logan wasn't giving her anytime to counter any attack; she stuck to keeping up with his strikes which were coming faster and at what seemed to her at full force. She knew cramming all this training in a small period of time was gonna be tough, but this just seemed like something more personal; he was coming at her with a rage that seemed deeply rooted.

Logan kept at it, Elizabeth was pretty good at defense, but she hadn't struck him yet which put her offensive skills into question. He heard Kyle's voice over the intercom telling him to stop the exercise, but he wasn't done yet. Elizabeth needed a taste of a real life fight and he was going to give it to her. As her instructor Logan wasn't gonna water down the training just because of the last name she carried, as an agent people's lives were in your hands; Elizabeth needed to earn that position. He could see she was tiring out and took one look at her stance and saw his opening. Moving around her he jabbed quickly and forcefully to the back of her knee causing a dead leg attack and when she slightly buckled he swung his leg into her stomach causing her to fall to the mat bent over gripping at the mid section.

"Get up" Logan said, his voice deep and challenging.

"That's enough" Kyle demanded through the intercom. Watching from the observation box as Logan attacked Elizabeth like she was a wanted criminal made a rage of anger flame up inside him. Seeing Logan disregard his request and continue his aggression was shocking, especially when he struck her so brutally. There was something different about the way Logan was carrying out this training exercise and Kyle realized he needed to stop this before Elizabeth really got hurt.

Elizabeth felt the strong heat of pain burning through her belly and calf muscle, she could hear Logan taunting her and as much as she wanted to stay crouched over clutching her burning stomach her pride got the best of her and she weakly stood up.

"Do you have a problem with me?" She question him, her voice seething with disgust that he was taking her lot in life personally. It was clear he was punishing her for being the daughter of the Director.

"You're weak, you don't belong here... Take a desk job like the rest of the world geniuses out there. Brains aren't going to save your life when you have a 250 pound man lunging full force at you" Logan spat walking up to Elizabeth so he was staring down his nose at her, his body trembling with anger.

The insult was a direct hit on Elizabeth's emotional wall that separated logical thought and rage and instantly she threw away any pain she felt and in one quick motion punched Logan with all the strengthen she had knuckles first under his chin and once he stepped back every method of attack Trent taught her flew out the window and survival instincts took over. Using the same skill Logan used on her, she dead legged him by kicking the back of his legs and once he dropped to his knees Elizabeth took no pity and round house kicked him across the face causing him to fall to the mat; nose oozing with blood and the entire left side of his face a quickly turning purple from its contact with Elizabeth's foot. Without waiting for further instruction Elizabeth jerked open the door to the octagon and stormed out the room tears threatening to release if she made contact with anyone. Refusing to let anyone see her cry she opted for the stairs, descending the five flights towards her living quarters as fast as she could. Slamming the door behind her the situation felt all too close to home and just like she did the night Darcy insulted her at the restaurant she dropped to the floor, but this time the tears fell forming pools on her lap. Pent up frustration at Logan, pain from the kick to her stomach, separation from her family and the hardest emotion to cope with was missing Darcy and not having him there to hold her while she cried. Crawling to her bag she took out her phone and called the one person who would understand.

"Hello?" Jane's voice said through the phone.

"Sissy, it's me" Elizabeth sobbed into the phone, hearing her sister's voice brought on a whole new wave of tears.

"Bugs, what's the matter? are you hurt?" Jane stuttered voice filled with panic and fear

"No, I've had a hard day of training... I just needed to hear a familiar voice to ground me"

"What happened?" Jane asked, her question followed by a long pause of silence.

"My trainer is a jerk, that's all"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really"

"Ok, well maybe this will brighten your day. Charlie's probably going to kill me for telling you without him, but you're gonna be an aunt" Jane said hesitantly into the phone, the news barely sinking in for herself.

"WHAT?" Elizabeth yelled jumping to her feet, her excitement at the news was overpowering her jittery tendencies and she had to pace the room to relieve some of it.

"I went to the doctor yesterday and they confirmed I'm three weeks pregnant" Jane admitted. The whole ordeal was still unrealistic for her.

"Jane congratulations, tell Charlie thanks for finally talking my advice and hiding you BC pills" Elizabeth teased.

"Elizabeth that is not funny, I caught him looking for them once and he told me the whole conspiracy you two had going on " Jane scolded.

"Yeah well taking birth control defeats the purpose of creating a child, duh we learned that in sex education sissy"

Elizabeth's sarcasm was a good sign for Jane, taking her mood change as a positive step Jane decided to approach a more sensitive subject with her sister.

"So, let first say that I'm not mad, really but why didn't you tell me there was something going on between you and Darcy?"

Elizabeth stopped pacing and slowly lowered herself to her bed eyes threatening to launch out of their sockets. "Ok,uhm... Let's uh... You see... Uh" she stuttered actual words abandoning her; she didn't know what to say.

"I was watching the footage from the night you arrived and I saw you and Darcy in the drive way and then watched as the two of you disappeared into the linens room, what happened in there I do not for the life of me wish to know " Jane revealed seeing as though Elizabeth was having a hard time speaking after being caught.

"My flower is still intact if that's what you are wondering, but it just kind of happened" Elizabeth confessed.

"Making out with Darcy doesn't just kind of happen Bugs, especially when just a week ago you stormed out of restaurant after he insulted you. This is serious"

"I know, I... I can't explain it, but he's just different it's like he understands me. He doesn't try to pick and pry into why I'm who I am; he just accepts it and takes me as I am"

"Oh my, Bugs...do you love him?" Jane's realization struck her like lightning and things were starting to make sense now.

"Honestly? Yeah I do"

"Woah, hold up... Rewind and pause. What?" Jane needed clarification because this was something serious.

"I'm in love with Darcy" Elizabeth admitted.

"Ok, uh... Um well, I uh" Jane's was shocked.

"Listen there's nothing to analyze sis, love is love, it's the bitch with no fear or respect for anyone's wishes; you just got to accept it"

"But he's Darcy"

"Yeah and I really should call him, he doesn't even know I'm not in San Francisco anymore"

"Oh, uh right... You should probably do that"

"Thanks for making me feel better sis, make sure to tell Charlie I said thank you and congrats... I love you both"

After the sisters hung up, Elizabeth listened to Darcy's voice mail, her heart fluttering at the sound of his voice playing through her phone speaker. Realizing he left that message yesterday she was sure that he was probably worried about why she hadn't called him back. After three rings he picked up and she felt the tears swell up in her eyes again.

"Hey Darcy" she returned his greeting. It felt weird calling him Darcy, she'd have to think of a new name for him because that really wasn't going to work for her anymore.

"Elizabeth! I've been worried" he said a bit too forcefully into the phone.

"Sorry I had to fly back to Boston early yesterday and got so wound up in work that when I got home I was exhausted" she lied, as much as she wanted to tell him the truth she couldn't.

"Wait, you're not in San Francisco anymore?"

"No, I'm at S.A.I.A headquarters in Boston" she replied.

"Why are you there?" Darcy question still surprised and confused by this new bit of information.

"The whole system shut down and everything is just so hectic, I've been swamped with trying to get the network back online" lying to him was hard; Elizabeth felt her heart twist into a knot.

"When will you be back?" He asked hopeful it would be soon.

"Judging by the looks of things, not for a while"

"Elizabeth, are you deliberately distancing yourself from me?" Darcy felt his chest get ten times heavier at the thought that maybe Elizabeth didn't want to be with him after all.

"You think I'm avoiding you?"

"That's what it seems like, going back to Boston on very short notice and not even saying anything til a day later... This is all a bit sudden" He stated, voice filled with hurt and agitation.

Elizabeth knew getting upset with Darcy was not the right angle to approach his accusation; after all she was lying to him. Taking the, I'm going to suck up to my man route she decided to pull out the I'm, sorry card.

"I'm sorry, I should have said something in the voice mail I left you, but really is that how you would've wanted to hear that kind of thing? Please don't be mad" she said softly trying to melt Darcy's anger away.

"No don't apologize Elizabeth you did nothing wrong, I'm sorry for even saying such a thing… Do you really not know when you'll be coming back?"

"With the way the systems are acting, I can't really say could be months before I'm done fixing all the glitches" she tried to sound innocently honest, but guilt was making its way up her throat.

"Months? You cannot be serious? I can deal with not seeing you every day because you're staying a few miles deeper into the city here in San Francisco, but you're in Boston that's a whole other zip code."

"Darcy, distance doesn't change the fact that I love you" Elizabeth stated knowing she would be able to cover this small bump in the road of their relationship.

"Elizabeth, I'm not spending a month away from you" Darcy's voice was firm and determined.

"I can't leave here til everything is fixed and before you even ask, no here is no one else that I'm willing to let touch my company's system and hard drives"

"Can I not come to you? I met with your mother yesterday and everything went great. Walking out of that meeting all I wanted was to be with you, share that with you. I can't go through months with having those kinds of moments, I won't"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the stoic Darcy acting like a big baby. Of course she missed him, but that was just a sacrifice she had to make.

"Ti voglio sempre avere al mio fianco, I gave you my heart and I meant it. Before you know it, I'll be back and so will your sister. Please don't make this harder than it already is" (1). When in doubt hit him with Italian was her method of distraction and from the deep breath she heard him released she knew he was caving.

"You didn't answer my question?" Darcy said pointedly, noticing how Elizabeth brushed past whether he could come to Boston to see her.

"Yeah, and have my papa catch me sneaking around with the guy my mother has probably already warned him I should stay away from, absolutely not going to happen. You're going to have to make a good first impression when you finally meet my Papa, so let's not go ruining it now" She tried to reason; also the fact that she really wasn't in Boston threw that idea straight out the window. A knock on her door made her aware of her current situation. "Listen I have to go, I'll call you before I go to bed".

"You'll video call me, agreed?" Darcy wasn't going to go another day without seeing Elizabeth even if that meant it was only through technology.

"Ok, fine… I love you, I got to go" Elizabeth was aware that her rushing off the phone would make Darcy suspicious, but what choice did she have, she basically assaulted her instructor and stormed out before being dismissed. After hearing Darcy tell her he loved her she clicked the red button and opened the door, hoping her face didn't read she was crying earlier.

"Miss Gardiner, may I have a word please" Warden Greene asked gesturing for Elizabeth to walk with him down the hall.

"Of course" she replied feeling for her room key in her pocket and shutting the door behind her.

"I've been informed by Agent Dansky about the event that occurred earlier today. Please let me offer you my sincerest apologies, Major Pierce was out of line in both actions and words. That was not how we run things here at OT and I have already informed the Director of the situation. While I'm fairly certain he had suffered greatly from the beating you put on him, he has been reprimanded for his actions" The Warden tried to reassure Elizabeth, after learning about what happened in the octagon he nearly had a stroke, the Director was certainly going to get on top of him for Major Pierce's conduct and even worse, Elizabeth might form the wrong opinion about the agency and its program. He would hate to see such remarkable talent leave the program because of Logan's horrible behavior.

"Sir, please think nothing of it. Although I do wish you had not informed my mother of the incident as she is already apprehensive about me entering the program, I find Major Pierce's execution of the training exercise to be extremely beneficial. I've ultimately learned the required skill the activity targeted and in doing so have become aware of his prejudices against me being here" She replied, having time to cool off and regain her composure.

"As much as I would have loved to have kept this incident under wraps, you are not any normal recruit; your mother has made it clear that your progress in the program is reported directly to her along with any concerns and any other matters of importance. I'm quite relieved to see your optimism towards the whole ordeal, but let me reassure you that another slip in your training program will not happen again"

"That is all I ask Warden" Elizabeth smiled brightly as they paused at the window overlooking the busy streets.

"Agent Dansky has also informed me that he's finished outlining your program curriculum and if you stay on schedule you may actually finish a week earlier than expected" Warden Greene smile and looked knowingly at Elizabeth, her reaction was exactly what he was expecting.

Elizabeth perked up in surprised and beamed at the Warden in shock, "Well I hope me playing hooky on my mid day training hasn't effect that timeline" she teased, the prospect of finishing on time was a stretch, but learning that she could finish earlier was unbelievable.

Wrapping up her conversation with the Warden, Elizabeth went to the dining room for lunch and found Agent Dansky sitting at a table. Once he was aware of her presence he motioned her over to join him.

"Gardiner, please have lunch with me" he waited for her to get situated and continued. "I'm so sorry about Major Pierce, I have no idea what got into him; he really isn't a threat or domineering."

"I've already spoken to the Warden, let's just move past it. How is he by the way?" She asked her eyes widening at the thought of actually hurting the guy.

"Just a bruised ego, actually no he has a bruised face too, but I think the force of reality you kicked into him was enough to set him straight" Kyle said casually.

"The Warden said we could actually pull this outrageous program off with time to spare" She replied looking up to Kyle for his confirmation.

"Believe it or not, you're not going to need any of the general, tech, chem. or math courses; you already know more material than the program offers. Learning a few foreign languages, handling of weapondry and tactical defense strategies are the only courses left we need to cover".

"That's great. I should warn you though the Warden just told me that he informed my mother about the incident so don't be surprised if she drops in sometime soon. She's a bit over protective and not really on board with me wanting to join the agency" Elizabeth admitted shrugging her shoulders and returning to her lunch.

"I'm actually very much aware of the Director's opinion regarding you joining the agency. She asked me to be your handler. I used to be active field duty, but after an accident that caused me to have knee surgery I took on what people called the desk job role in the agency" He looked at Elizabeth studying her every move, there was something about the way she carried herself that hooked his attention making him realize he was seriously in the red zone of crushing hard for her.

"Do you work at Langley or The Compound?"

"The Compound, I've was in debriefing room when you returned from the Ray mission and I was also there the night you walked in with the decrypted Lotus file, but like I said desk job duty" Kyle shrugged and smiled at his lot in life, he was grateful to have some use in the agency still after his accident.

"I've noticed every time I walk in people usually stop what they are doing and stare" Elizabeth admitted finding it a bit intimidating having so many eyes on her without knowing why.

"You're the Director's daughter, it's a form of respect for your mother and also for you. That's what Major Pierce didn't understand, he's here more for the defensive aspect of your training; he just assumed you came because the Director pulled a few strings. I however, have seen firsthand what type of work you're capable of and know that's not the case".

"So that's my handler talking now right?"

"Yeah, you should probably get going for your lessons; you're going to be hitting languages hard today" Kylie said. He watched as Elizabeth left the dining room and had to admit she was absolutely remarkable.

When Elizabeth finally retired for the day she found a message alert waiting for her on the flat screen. She touched the screen to open the message and her mother's face popped up.

_Lizzie, I just got word of the incident that occurred today, in respect of your independence and ability to handle any situation that comes your way, I'll refrain from visiting OT and setting every single person in that facility straight. However, I will be following you're progress closely. Elizabeth, if you listen to anything I say let it be this. Do not let anyone take advantage of you, from what I've been told you handled the situation well, but as I'm sure you've realized people are judging you because you are my daughter. There is no one more deserving of a position in the program than you, so embrace it and prove to yourself that you've earned it; no one else's opinion matters. Take care Lizzie, your father and I are always rooting for you. Love you sweetheart. _

Elizabeth saved the message for future reference when she had another trying day and sat on her bed legs folded in front of her. She video called Darcy placing her phone on the dock on her night stand and multitasked by sorting through the mail she picked up from her mail box. It was only her second day at OT, the fullness of her mailbox amazed her.

"Elizabeth it's one in the morning there, what are you still doing up?" Darcy asked when the video feed of Elizabeth sitting on her bed sifting through mail popped up.

"I just got in and considering I promised to video call you, I thought sleep could wait" she said throwing a side glance at the phone docked to her right. Darcy looked just as exhausted as she felt, but even through his sleep deprived appearance he was easily the most handsome man on the face of the Earth. "You're adorable" she threw in before looking back at the large envelope her mother sent her containing the finalized designs to her 20th birthday event, shaking her head in annoyance at how extravagant of an angle she and Chase were taking.

"I'm adorable? What's the face for?" Darcy asked studying the image of the woman he was madly in love with shaking her head at the stack of papers she just removed from an envelope.

"The way your face is relaxed, you look at easy and comfortable. I however have had enough of my mother and Chase's over the top birthday party designs, I don't have the patience to be involved with any of that stuff" She replied replacing the papers back in the envelope and putting all the mail to the side. She turned her body to face her phone and focused her full attention on Darcy's streaming image, a yawn escaping her during the process of repositioning herself.

"You know, we're going to have to address our age difference sooner or later" Darcy said leaning forward on the desk he was sitting behind. Richard's penthouse space allowed him to have a study all to himself, which came in handy when he needed to work late.

"I'll take later" Elizabeth smiled placing her elbow on her knee and tilting her head to rest her cheek against the back of her hand, another yawn escaping her.

"Elizabeth that's your second yawn in the past forty seconds"

"I'm sorry, I've just had a long day…" she was saying before Darcy cut her off.

"Go to bed, we can talk tomorrow" Darcy instructed, seeing Elizabeth's tiredness made him protective of her well being. He watched as Elizabeth shook her head like a stubborn child and smiled at how easy it was to love everything about her.

"Where are you? That room doesn't look familiar" she asked taking in the setting behind Darcy.

"I'm staying with Richard now" Darcy replied.

"Is everything alright?" Elizabeth straightened her posture taking his comment seriously.

"Yes, everything is fine, I think this situation works out better if I stay with Richard"

"Oh… don't hate me, but I'm really tired" Elizabeth admitted, her eye lids becoming heavy.

"Elizabeth, I could never hate you my love" Darcy smiled at Elizabeth as she rubbed her eyes with balled up fists.

Elizabeth pulled back her sheets making herself comfortable, laying down against her pillow facing her phone screen.

"Are you going to be working long?" she asked

"Perhaps another half hour or so" Darcy replied his eyes pinned to Elizabeth's dreamy eyes seconds from closing.

"Leave the video on?" Elizabeth asked voice filled with sleepiness, "I want to see you when I wake up" she whispered faintly.

Darcy nodded, "I love you"

"I love you" Elizabeth replied using her last bit of energy to raise her hand to her lips and blow Darcy a kiss before drifting to sleep.

Watching Elizabeth sleep was exactly how he wanted to end everyday of the rest of his life. Darcy spent an hour in the study looking from the case files to Elizabeth's sleeping form. He found comfort in the fact that he knew she was sleeping; a sense of ease spread over him and all the struggles of the day just seemed to wash away. He wanted to bottle this moment up and feel it forever; it was perfect, Elizabeth was perfect.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for waiting; my favorite chapter is coming up next so please bare with me as I attempt to make it perfect. Thanks again to everyone following and commenting. Proof reading is so tedious, sorry guys for mistakes...Thumbs up to longer chapters!

**End Notes**

(1) I always want you by my side (sorry if the Italian phrase is wrong, I use Google)


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: 14 Weeks Later – A Birthday to Remember**

* * *

"Gardiner, we've avoided this for far too long, it's your last day of training you're going into the range to start shooting" Logan ordered. His relationship with Elizabeth made a whole turn around after the incident a little over two months ago; growing into one of respect and admiration for her after realizing how wrong he was about her. The issue now was a fairly childish one in his opinion, but for Elizabeth it was something serious, refusal to use a gun.

"I don't see why using a gun is necessary" Elizabeth stated, shaking her head in irritation at the back and forth never ending arguments she would have with Kyle and Logan over this.

"You're going to need to know how to use a gun; tranqs are not always going to work" Kyle added watching the exchange from the bench behind the Elizabeth and Logan who were standing in front of the equipment counter.

"Take a gun Gardiner, you won't get to go home without passing this training exercise so it's your choice" Logan informed, holding out a Glock 35 and a Beretta PXx4 for Elizabeth to choose from.

Elizabeth glared at Logan in full rage and went to grab the Beretta when it was quickly pulled away from her.

"A…a…ah, you're not touching any kind of firearm with that attitude. I'm not saying you have to shoot anyone, you just need to know how to use one if ever it comes down to it" Logan tried to reason.

Elizabeth took a breath and fixed her features to appear more willing and ready to learn. Logan had a valiant point, but still the thought of guns was too real for Elizabeth. She would never want to run into a situation where she had to use one, tranq guns were easy and left nothing on her conscious when it was all over. Taking the Beretta she walked over to the range and prepared to be instructed.

Shooting was easy, she wasn't the best shot, but she did hit the paper target every time. After finishing off two magazines Logan took the Beretta and handed her an AK47 rifle. Elizabeth nearly dropped it in shock.

"Oh no, I'm not doing that" she exclaimed stepping back from the cubical.

"Yes you are, and when you're done with this you still have a Benelli M2; my personal favorite" Logan threw her a smart ass smirk and blocked her way out of the booth. "These aren't standard issued type firearms, but that's what makes them bad ass, so turn around and embrace it".

"Fuck that I'm not shooting a shotgun, it's fucking barbaric. I don't even know why guns like that exist" Elizabeth argued, her morality overpowering her logical thought. Of course she should learn how to use one, but the thought of them scared her. "Dansky, really? Is a shotgun necessary?" she turned and addressed her handler.

Kyle who had been watching from behind only nodded his head as a way to avoid further argument; Elizabeth was possibly the most stubborn person on the planet. However, Logan had a point; she wasn't going to leave the program without clearing the weaponry course. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the uselessness of fighting against both annoying idiots and picked up the rifle and finishing up her lesson.

"You did well" Kyle commented after they wrapped up the exercise in the range, now sitting in a large conference room waiting on the Warden.

"No she didn't" Logan interrupted, "Gardiner you missed the target five feet away when you had the shotgun. I don't even understand how that was even possible, but you did it" he laughed.

"I was nervous with you breathing down my neck and the damn thing intimidated the shit out of me ok…give it a rest" Elizabeth spat, not liking being the target of Logan's teasing.

"Give what a rest?" Maddy interrupted, following Warden Greene into the room and catching the end of her daughter's comment.

Elizabeth sprung up in surprise and bolted towards her mother. It was nearly three months since she had seen any of her family aside from video chat and her mother being in the same room as her was too much for her to handle sitting down.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked breaking away from the enormous bear hug she trapped her mother in and guiding her to the seat she had just vacated, pushing it in once her mother was seated.

"Thank you sweetheart" Maddy said after taking the seat Elizabeth offered. "I'm here to pick you up, according to the Warden you had weaponry earlier today and that completes your program" She beamed, proud at Elizabeth's accomplishment.

"Sweetheart?" Kyle leaned over and teasingly whispered over Elizabeth's shoulder.

Elizabeth elbowed him in his side causing Logan to smirk, Maddy saw how easy going the relationship between her daughter and the two gentlemen was and felt at ease that Elizabeth was in good hands.

"Major Pierce, you don't know how long I've waited to meet the man that kicked my daughter in the stomach" Maddy threw on the table and stared knowingly at Logan for his reaction. Seeing him straighten in his seat and take on a more professional composure signaled his realization of her seriousness.

"Director, please allow me to offer my sincerest apology for my misconduct. I completely acted out of line and for that I received the most brutal butt kicking of my life" Logan replied hoping he wouldn't get in more trouble than he already had.

Elizabeth snickered, earning her a look of death from her mother. She tried to cover up her slip with a cough and through the corner of her eye she could see Kyle was also fighting back a smirk by the way his lips were pressed. Throughout the course of her training program she had grown to respect the two men that she spent so much time around. While her connection with Kyle was going to continue considering he was her handler, her friendship with Logan was unknown as he would have a new recruit to deal with once she was gone. Regardless of their initial opinions of each other, Elizabeth found she looked up to him as a mentor and even more so as a good friend.

"Miss Gardiner, you have done something extraordinary in these past months. You should be very proud of yourself. Never in my twenty years as Warden have I seen a recruit as driven and brilliant as you" Warden Greene stated looking at Elizabeth with admiration.

"Thank you Warden, I wouldn't have been able to do any of it without your guidance and most importantly without the two gentlemen here, who were given the unfortunate task of dealing with me" Elizabeth replied smiling at how much she meant those words.

"Agent Dansky will continue on as your handler, Major Pierce however has received an offer to train incoming Air Force recruits and will be leaving us here at OT" Warden Greene announced.

Elizabeth and Kyle's heads sprang up in surprise. "You're gonna deal with incoming military recruits?" Elizabeth asked a sassy attitude attached to her words.

"I can do it" Logan said defensively.

"Right, because you had so much patience with me, how are you going to handle 30 wannabe airmen?" she countered.

"Well those recruits won't be able to give me any lip or bruise my ego by kicking the crap out of me" Logan returned, causing everyone in the room to laugh at his misfortune.

Once her things were packed, Elizabeth said her goodbyes and she and her mother made their way to the airstrip to head back home to Boston. The program had been a long stressful journey, her relationship with Jane and Charlie never faltered as both of them understood perfectly what was going on, but she could not say the same for that with Darcy. The long distance definitely took its toll on both of them and there were nights where neither of them called the other; the stab of missing one another was just too deep. Elizabeth could not wait to see him again at her birthday party that weekend, the last phone call they had ended like many before; Darcy wanting to visit her and her denying him telling him some sort of lie. Lying to him was what hurt the most about the situation; he had a right to be angry and frustrated with her.

The jet landed in Boston and when Elizabeth and her mother walked towards the waiting Range they were greeted by Eddie and Chase. Elizabeth jumped into her father's arms.

"Lizzie, I'm so proud of you darling. Come let me look at you" Eddie was near tears seeing his daughter for the first time as an actual CIA agent. Her appearance had changed since the last time he saw her, she was thinner and very exhausted.

"Papa! Can you believe it?" Elizabeth squealed turning to Chase and giving him just as much of a suffocating hug as she had just given her father. "Cousin, how did you enjoy your few months off?" she asked jokingly.

"Being your assistant never allows for time off Eli. Don't you dare leave me to feed the media with horrible cover up stories about a huge system meltdown at headquarters, those vultures were seconds from ruining my hair treatment with all the sweating I was doing" Chase said in his mocking fashionista tone that only he was capable of.

"Chase you're such a diva" Elizabeth replied buckling her seat belt. "I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed tonight, it was too creepy sleeping at OT" she exhaled dramatically causing both her parents to shake their heads and roll their eyes at her comment.

"Well don't think you're going to be sleeping anytime soon, you're birthday is two days away there is still much to be done" Chase stated firmly, although he loved being the head of planning Elizabeth's birthday celebration there was still a long list of things on the check list.

"Hey you were the one who said you wanted to plan the party, I had no problem hiring an event planner" Elizabeth countered, not wanting to hear Chase's rants about being over whelmed when she didn't want the party to begin with.

"Uh no sweetheart, this is not a party. We're not wearing jeans and drinking from red solo cups. This is an extravaganza understood. The nation's richest and elite will be there and you're going to set the roof on fire with how glamorous and beautiful you're going to look" Chase corrected matter of factly, giving Elizabeth a look that challenged her to try and contradict him.

Maddy and Eddie couldn't help but smile at the two in the backseat, Elizabeth and Chase grew up together; quite frankly were inseparable considering Chase wanted to play dress up with Elizabeth and Elizabeth wanted to have a wrestling partner. It was a perfect moment, seeing their relationship bloom into what it is today.

"Ok you two, how about we get something to eat before we all faint from this extravaganza talk" Eddie suggested teasingly.

They had dinner at one of their favorite local restaurants, afterwards Chase followed Elizabeth up to her room with a huge binder in hand. Plopping down on her large bed he began rambling on and on about décor and table settings.

"Did you double check the arrangements for my sister and Charlie?" Elizabeth asked while she looked over the guest list. Usually when the Bingley's visited they would stay at her parent's house, but with the current situation they decided that it would be best to stay separated for her birthday weekend.

"About that, apparently Charlie still hasn't grown a backbone when it comes to Caroline and allowed her to come also" Chase said rolling his eyes at the thought of the orange witch attending his extravaganza.

"Well is the property you rented for the weekend able to accommodate Jane, Charlie, Caroline, Richard and Darcy comfortable? This is my sister Chase, I don't want to overwhelm her" Elizabeth sat up and looked for the property rental file. With Jane been pregnant, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her arrival.

"There are eight bedrooms Eli, relax. Before you even ask yes I've already hired staff to take care of them during their stay, the linens have been changed and I've rented two cars for their personal use"

"Has Jane shared the news with you?" Elizabeth tried to approach the subject of Darcy easily.

"What? That she's pregnant or that you're dating the sexiest man on the planet?" Chase shot back, put out that Elizabeth hadn't spilled the beans herself knowing how much he loved handsome men.

"Shut up, like I have to answer to you"

"Bitch, you'd better come correctly. We used to sleep in the same bed as children, it's my right to be all up in your kool-aid" Chase retorted smacking his lips and rolling his head with an attitude.

"Only because you're a sissy and Nonno's house freaks you out" Elizabeth laughed and smacked Chase with a pillow.

"Eli stop it, you'll wrinkle my cute silk set" Chase squealed ducking his head from the pillow Elizabeth was swinging.

"You're such a queen Chase; no one cares if you wrinkle your pajamas" Elizabeth dropped back on the bed and pulled the hair covering her eyes back from her face.

"Well, spill. Is he as good a kisser as he is to look at?" Chase whispered leaning closer waiting for the juicy insight.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at her cousin's teenage like antics. "He's kind of the first person I've ever kissed, but even without experience I'm pretty confident that he's hands-down the best" She gloated wanting to give Chase a little information.

"Do tell, do tell" Chases shook with excitement.

"There's really nothing to tell, we kissed he touched, no condom, still a virgin" Elizabeth summed up her and Darcy's last moments without the hot and smoky steaminess the kiss actually had.

"You tease, that's not gonna cut it for me. What does touched mean?" Chase sprung up with a naughty smirk.

"I'm not saying anymore if you're gonna stare at me like that" Elizabeth scolded.

"Ok, ok… I'm listening"

"He uh, well I don't know any other way to say it other than saying he put his finger in places" Elizabeth tried to say casually, but with her cheeks burning she knew she failed.

Chase gasped dramatically grabbing his chest to calm his out of control breathing. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and pushed her face into her pillow to hide from Chase's embarrassing fake seizure.

"Elizabeth, you bad little girl" Chase said bringing her out of hiding. His facial expression was unreadable which startled her.

"What?" she replied innocently.

"Are you saying, if he had a condom you two would have done the deed?"

"Yeah isn't that what people in love do?" she shrugged her shoulders and looked at Chase for his reaction.

"OMG! Eli you love him? Fuck planning an extravaganza, let me be your matron of honor….please…please…please" Chase begged crawling on his knees across the bed and grabbing Elizabeth's hands prepared to beg like a dog.

"Uh, get off of me Chase" Elizabeth pushed him so hard his back landed on the mattress.

"A bridesmaid then, please… Eli I'm your only cousin, well aside from my baby brother Jeremy, but he's only one so he doesn't count. And Jane will be well into that baby bump by the time I'm done planning" Chase pleaded.

"Fuck Chase shut up, no one is getting married. Saying I love you doesn't automatically mean wedding bells alright. Now get serious I have a huge favor to ask" she demanded looking at Chase for his attention.

"Well, on the off chance that you do get married someday can I be in your wedding?"

"Jeeze you're hopeless. Fine! If one day I get married you can be in my wedding" Elizabeth gave up knowing he would be distracted until she agreed.

"What was this about a favor?"

"I haven't seen Darcy for months and he really didn't handle the long distance too well, he's a bit of a 'I get what I want' type guy and I'm really worried he's not going to be able to handle all the attention I'm going to be getting on Saturday" Elizabeth explained hoping Chase would get the hint.

"So you want me to keep watch while you try and have birthday sex, is that correct?" Chase put the pieces together. Maddy made it clear that Elizabeth was to remain merely an acquaintance in the public eye with Darcy, this plus Elizabeth's current confession made it all too clear what Elizabeth was getting at.

"Chase quit being silly, I just want a minute alone with him, I mean his sister is still missing. Last thing we want is to jeopardize her coming back safely"

"Sure, so does the whole female population… who am I kidding, I want a minute alone with the man" Chase winked seeing Elizabeth's entire face drop he decided to get serious. "How are you dealing with this whole separation?"

"Is supposed to be this hard?" Elizabeth asked a pang of sadness from missing Darcy spreading through her.

"If it don't hurt, it aint love baby" Chase replied leaning his back against the headboard and letting Elizabeth rest her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Richard sat on the couch watching Darcy fidget and twitch, he didn't know what was wrong with him, but found it very amusing.

"Darce, what's wrong you have the attention span of a two year old" Richard gave up being amused and tried to get to the bottom of Darcy's nervousness.

"I haven't seen Elizabeth in months Richard" Darcy replied running his hand through his hair and exhaling deeply.

"I doubt she'll want to see you in the state you're in. Chill out, we're landing in ten minutes" he tried to comfort Darcy's uneasiness, but it was no use the guy was just as stubborn as the woman he was in love with.

Darcy and Richard sat in the back of the Range that picked them up from the airstrip in silence. Darcy could not wait to get to the rented home where they would be staying for the weekend. He was going to get to see Elizabeth in person, all his thoughts surrounded the moment he would finally lay eyes on her again. The car pulled up the driveway of a very large mansion and a butler stepped out the entrance to help them inside.

"I thought you two would have been here sooner" Charlie said, handing Darcy and Richard drinks. He, Jane and Caroline had just settled in a few hours ago having left San Francisco before Richard and Darcy.

"The jet was delayed due to air traffic, when is Bugs getting here?" Richard asked looking forward to a reunion dinner with his best friend who he missed dearly these path few months.

"She and Chase should be…" Charlie was interrupted by Caroline's entrance.

"Will, you're here. Please excuse me for not being there to welcome you in" Caroline snaked her way through the couches and sat herself so close to Darcy she mind as well have sat on his lap.

"Caroline" Darcy greeted dryly removing his arm from her grasp and standing to refill his drink. Sharing the weekend under the same roof as Caroline was only worth the torture if it meant he would see Elizabeth, he reminded himself.

"So when is Bugs coming?" Richard asked trying to get an answer to his earlier question.

"Yes, as I was saying. She should be arriving within the hour" Charlie answered cocking a questioning eye to Darcy standing near the window overlooking the driveway.

"Love sick puppy" Richard whispered out of Caroline's ear shot.

Charlie nodded his head in understanding. Finding out Darcy and Elizabeth were dating caught him a bit by surprise, but after thinking about it he realized that they were actually perfect for each other and was happy for them.

"Will, aren't you excited. Although I'm not too fond of Elizabeth's lack of fashion and decorum, the Gardiner's are an extremely respectable family. There's no doubt the nation's most elite will be in attendance. It's a pity such connections and privilege is wasted on a girl with no care for anything other than computers and technology" Caroline said loudly so that Darcy could hear her from the window he was staring at.

All eyes in the room shot to her, but the only one who spoke was Jane who walked in just in time to catch Caroline's insult of her sister.

"You know Caroline, the only reason you're here is because Charlie and I were invited. You'll remember that when you're seating card says Guest rather than your name" Jane said defensively. Of course she knew better than to reveal Elizabeth's true relation to her, but there was no way Caroline was going to get away with such a nasty comment.

Darcy was seething in anger, Caroline had no idea what she was talking about and he wanted so badly to correct her, but his relationship with Elizabeth was a secret among only the closes of friends and family. He walked out the room and went upstairs to wash up and dress for dinner.

* * *

"Chase, would you get a move on we're going to be late" Elizabeth yelled from the bottom of the staircase. They needed to be at dinner in thirty minutes and Chase had not even made an appearance yet. Five minutes later Chase descended the steps in a disoriented state. "What?" Elizabeth asked confused as to why he was still dressed in the same trousers and dress shirt he had been wearing since they ran errands earlier in the day.

"You're not going to believe this shit, but you actually need to go to work. Apparently one of the techs decided to ignore the no drinks rule and left his coffee near the servers. I don't even need to explain what happened next" Chase finished rolling his eyes in frustration at having to work late alongside Elizabeth and missing out on having dinner with a few of the world's finest male specimens.

"You're kidding me, fuck" Elizabeth dropped to sit on the step and sink her face into her hands, life was not going to make things easy for her.

"You should probably call Jane. I'll go up and get your bag" Chase said placing her cell in her hands and going up stairs to prepare for a long night.

Elizabeth called Jane and waited while the phone rang.

"Hello?"she heard Jane's voice.

"Hey sis, um I really hate to do this, but I can't make dinner tonight" Elizabeth said faintly into the phone, misery coursing her veins at the thought of passing another day without seeing Darcy and her sister again.

"Elizabeth, it's the day before your birthday… you deserve a break" Jane said fed up with the constant pull Elizabeth's choice of occupation was having on her life.

"Believe it or not, there is really a problem at S.A.I.A. Some idiot spilled coffee all over the servers and I have to go in" Elizabeth wasn't even going to pretend not to be irritated with the predicament.

"I guess there's nothing you can do but go. I'll tell everyone" Jane replied voice strained with hurt and yet still understanding.

Elizabeth hung up the phone and dragged herself up the stairs to change out of her dinner dress and into a pair of jeans and tee shirt. After throwing on layers of outerwear to fight the freezing snowy December weather Boston was known for she and Chase left the house to spend all night in the server room. All Elizabeth was sure of was who ever brought the coffee in was going to have the pleasure of explaining to her uncle why there's going to be a lot of blank screens showing up on the company's some thousand plus client's monitors.

* * *

When Jane announced that Elizabeth wasn't coming to dinner, Darcy swore his heart fell on the floor, hearing an evil snicker escape Caroline's lips added fuel to the disappointment burning inside him. He waited months for this moment and here Elizabeth was being pulled back into work. As much as he wanted to question why Elizabeth had to go in, the news report covering S.A.I.A Corp's system shut down was proof enough that this was a serious matter.

"All that because someone spilled a cup of coffee?" Charlie asked watching the news report with fascination at being able to see the company his sister in law built. In the two years that he has known Elizabeth, he had to admit he never really got a glimpse into her computer engineering hi-tech life. They all usually agreed to leave work at work and just enjoy what small family time they had together.

"Poor Bugs, her birthday is tomorrow and she'll be spending the night behind a computer" Richard added shaking his head at the screen.

Caroline rolled her eyes at the four individuals glued to the screen, "Well we wouldn't want dinner to get cold, I'm sure Elizabeth will do what she does best" she said getting up from her seat and walking over to Darcy to escort her into the dining room. When he walked away she huffed in frustration at his constant ignorance of her flirtatious attempts. She was going to have Darcy for herself, they would be perfect together and she could finally run with the highest A-listers and have the social circle she has always dreamed of.

* * *

It was 3:00am and Elizabeth and the crew had been going for eight hours straight. After sending everyone home and promising Chase she would get some_ beauty rest _in the office upstairs Elizabeth attached the last wire and powered up the server. Now that everything was reconnected, she just needed to run the update. After starting the software, Elizabeth locked the door to the server room and took the elevator to her uncle's office to get some sleep. Hearing the annoying ringtone of her cell she dug in her pocket and extracted the offending device.

[_Happy Birthday, I love you_]read the text from Darcy.

[Thanks, I love you too] she replied opening the door to the office and setting her bag down on the sofa.

[_Still at it?_]

[Just finishing up … video call me?] Elizabeth asked too lazy to pull out the sofa bed, she just threw her body on the cushions and got comfortable.

Darcy video called Elizabeth, when the video focused he couldn't help but feel like less of a man for not being there to take care of his tired and exhausted other half. Seeing her lying on the couch eyes red and dark circles surrounding them caused every fiber of his body to melt with sadness, he missed her deeply.

"Hi love" Elizabeth smiled at the image of Darcy on her phone.

"I don't believe we are in the same city and we still need to resort to video chat to see each other" Darcy was irritated, but said it in a calm voice not wanting to upset Elizabeth on her birthday.

"Can I ask you for something?" she said sweetly.

"Whatever it is, if it's in my power to do it it's yours" Darcy replied leaning against the headboard and staring at Elizabeth wondering what she could be asking for.

"Can you take me on a first date so saying were dating could actually make sense? Doesn't really work to say we're dating and we never went on a date" she explained with a soft smile, closing her eyes and sinking deeper into her pillow.

Darcy watched as Elizabeth succumbed to sleep and smiled at her request. This was exactly how most of the video chats they had the past few months ended. Being that he was still stuck on west coast time he propped his phone up on the night stand and walked down the hall to Richard's room.

Richard opened the door face pissed from being woken from sleep, "What is it Darce?"

"Let me borrow your phone?" Darcy asked, watching as Richard turned to grab his phone.

"Where's yours?" Richard responded with an attitude.

"I'm using it for something already" Darcy replied taking the phone Richard handed him and returning to his room. Seeing Elizabeth sound asleep, he made a few phone calls; calling in some favors to make sure Elizabeth would have the best first date tomorrow night. An hour later, Darcy was still planning for his and Elizabeth's first date when he was startled by a loud alarm like noise coming from his phone. Seeing Elizabeth's sleeping form stir and walk out of camera view he became very curious. When Elizabeth returned into view she turned to him and very tiredly told him she had to get back to work. After disconnecting with her, Darcy sat on the bed staring at the phone in front of him feeling powerless; he wanted so badly to relieve some of the burden of work from Elizabeth's shoulders. Deciding that making sure everything for their first date went off without a hitch was the least he could do, Elizabeth deserved the world and he was damn sure going to try and give it to her.

* * *

Elizabeth woke in her bed, still drained and tired. After resetting the servers and making sure they were working properly, she somehow managed to drive home and climb into bed, granted she was still in her sneakers and jeans; she still made it into bed and got a solid 4 more hours of sleep. Before even having time to process being awake her door swung open and in walked Chase carrying a breakfast tray.

"Rise and shine birthday girl, you look horrible. Lucky for you I'm willing to be your fairy godmother… now have some breakfast and take a shower. Your parents have gone out to finalize a few things and you are expected at Jane's by noon" Chase announced, giving Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek and exiting the room.

Elizabeth rolled out of bed and did as she was told. Being sleep deprived, she didn't feel like she would be able to think for herself. After her long hot shower, she threw on a slim pair of black jeans her hunter boots and a comfy knit sweater.

"Not my choice of outfit, but I guess you're allowed a free pass since it is your birthday" Chase examined her as she walked down the steps.

"Hey birthday or not, I had a shitty night" Elizabeth replied grabbing the warm coat Chase held out to her and putting on her scarf and beanie.

Chase rode with her to the rental house Jane and company were staying in.

"So I'm going to pick up your dress and my suit, I'll be back in an hour or so" Chase said when the car stopped in the driveway as their driver came around to open the door for her.

"Got it boss" Elizabeth willingly relinquished all right to Chase to take control of how the day would run. Watching the car leave, Elizabeth turned when she heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"Feels like forever since I've last seen you Bugs" Richard exclaimed cheerfully pulling Elizabeth in for a big hug.

"Rich you have no idea how happy I am to see you" Elizabeth replied looping her arm through his and walking along side him into the house. There she found Charlie and Jane waiting to greet her in the foyer.

"Jane!" Elizabeth squealed slowing down before embracing her sister, not wanting to disturbed her niece or nephew growing inside. The two sisters stayed in that embrace for a few seconds longer, enjoying the comfort of being reunited.

"Bugs, I didn't think it was possible, but you've gotten thinner" Charlie said when he hugged Elizabeth.

"That just means you need to feed me now" she responded poking him in the chest, "also, congrats on my future protégé" she teased.

"I'm not arguing with that" Charlie smiled and clapped Elizabeth's hand in a high five. Jane rolled her eyes thinking this was how their family was supposed to be.

"So where's Caroline?" Elizabeth asked looking around for a patch of orange.

"She went out to get some last minute 'pampering', I think that's what she called it" Richard answered shrugging his shoulders and casually nodding his head towards the hall while he followed Jane and Charlie into family room.

Elizabeth smiled at Richard's attempt to inform her about Darcy's whereabouts. Turning to the hall she crept cautiously trying to figure out which door she would find him behind. The mystery did not last long as there was only one door opened, peeking her head inside she saw the object of her every thought sitting behind a large desk talking on the phone. She leaned against the door frame and watched as he went about his phone call not even noticing her presence. Sensing he was never going to look up she cleared her throat and stepped into the room. The look on his face was priceless; everything about him beamed and she took satisfaction in his reaction to her presence.

Darcy ended the phone call he was on and bolted out of his seat so quickly the chair slide back forcefully towards the wall. Elizabeth was really there, standing in front of him, in the same room as him, every part of his body was going into shock. Wasting no time he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her waist crushing her body into him. The flood of emotions running through him were overwhelming, all he could do was hold Elizabeth tighter.

"You're really here?" Darcy asked quietly, needing confirmation that this wasn't some sick illusion his mind was playing on him.

Elizabeth pulled her face out of his shoulder and smiled up at his face, "Yes, I'm really here".

Darcy sat on the edge of the desk and pulled Elizabeth between his legs lifting her hands to his mouth and placing soft tender kisses on them.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything important" she said taking her hands out of his and running them slowly over his neck and resting them when she got to the back of it.

"Not at all…" Darcy replied but was cut off by Elizabeth's lips covering his, melting away any form of response he was going to make to her comment. He slid his hands around her waist into the back pockets of her jeans, abandoning every voice inside him telling him to get up and close the door; giving into his selfish need for her.

Elizabeth kissed him slow and deeply, wanting to embrace every second of the moment in her soul. It was a long a tormenting three months and all the pent up frustration and anxiety exploded like fireworks. Pulling back from the kiss she flung her whole body against his and clung to him like her life depended on it. Feeling like she was suffocating him, Elizabeth let go and grabbed his hand dragging him towards the family room where Jane, Charlie and Richard were waiting for them.

Upon entering the family room all eyes turned to both her and Darcy causing her to shrug her shoulders and plop down on the sofa next to Charlie and Jane, Darcy taking a seat next to her.

"This is going to take some time to get used to" Jane smirked drawing Elizabeth's attention.

Elizabeth got up and sat on the floor in front of Jane and leaned her chin on Jane's lap. "So when are we going to find out if it's an Elijah or an Elizabeth the 2nd?" She asked staring adorably at her sister.

"Not for another two weeks, now since Chase will be returning in half an hour for you we should probably get started on your gifts" Jane suggested, time was flying by quickly.

"Oh gifts, yay!" Elizabeth exclaimed clapping her hands together and getting up from the floor to return to her seat next to Darcy.

"These are from Jane and I" Charlie said handing Elizabeth a large envelope and small box.

Elizabeth smiled widely and opened the box first, her jaw dropped at seeing a Cartier _Juste un Clou _yellow gold bracelet (1). Taking it out of the box and unscrewing the nail top and handing it to Darcy to help her put it on, holding her arm in front of her to admire it properly.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh, you two are the best, I love it" Elizabeth exclaimed shaking with excitement.

"Open the envelope Bugs" Jane smiled widely at her sister, knowing its contents was special.

Elizabeth pulled out a fancy cardstock paper and looked at Jane and Charlie with a questioning look.

"Read it" Charlie instructed his smile matching that of his wife's.

"Elizabeth Marie Gardiner,

We, Jane Samantha Bingley and Charles George Bingley, seek your permission to name you the Godmother of our future child…" Elizabeth stopped reading and brought her hand to her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. Looking up at her sister and brother in law she started trembling, "are you…" she tried to say, but her voice cracked when she saw tears forming in Jane's eyes also.

"Yes, we're asking you to be the Godmother of your future niece or nephew" Jane replied wiping the tears away from her eyes.

Elizabeth wasted no time getting up and positioning herself between Jane and Charlie, "I would honored, Thank you" she sobbed wrapping her arms around both of them. When she was able to speak again she leaned her head on Jane's shoulder and grabbed Charlie's hand, "you two are still gonna spoil me, when the baby comes around right?" she asked jokingly knowing very well the child was the one who was going to be spoiled rotten by her.

"Elizabeth, can you take anything seriously?" Jane shook her hand and pushed Elizabeth up off the couch to return to her seat.

Darcy and Richard sat silently watching with admiration at how beautiful a family Jane, Charlie and Elizabeth were. Seeing Richard gesture for him to go next Darcy placed a black box with a gold ribbon around it on Elizabeth's lap.

Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled before opening the box, taking off the lid she found the most beautiful flawless princess cut diamond stud earrings (2) she had ever seen in her life. She stared at Darcy completely loss for words.

"Are those diamond earrings?" Richard asked in a toned that sounded surprised and upset.

"Uh, yeah" Elizabeth answered still shocked at how big they were, surely they were at least 2 carats each and sitting in gold; there was no way these were less than a $10k.

"Well shit, how is anyone supposed to compete with that?" Richard replied throwing his hands up in the air.

Elizabeth ignored him and turned to give Darcy a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you" she whispered, "I don't know what to say…"

Darcy smiled and held a finger to her lips, "then say nothing, wear them tonight and it'll mean everything" he whispered back, feelings of relief spread through him that she didn't find his gift over the top.

"Ok...ok my turn, my turn" Richard interrupted the cute little moment, getting up and pulling Elizabeth down to the floor so they were seated around the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Those were great presents…really, but let's face it, you all give gifts like old people" he stated placing a large poster canister on the table and grinning widely, nodding his approval for Elizabeth to open it.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Richard's child like behavior and pulled the top off the canister. She slid its contents on the table and unrolled the poster; her eyes expanding at the sight of an all black Cam Am Outlander Max (3) pictured in front of her.

"Richard, I swear if this is a joke I'm going to beat you dead with this canister" Elizabeth threatened her eyes never leaving the ATV.

"Nope, it's waiting for you back in SF" he stated smugly knowing Elizabeth would love his gift.

"I knew there was a reason to keep you around" she said wrapping her arms around Richard's neck and giving him a gigantic bear hug.

"Oh goodness, another thing I need to worry about" Jane said jokingly giving Richard a sarcastic look of disapproval.

"You're gonna give me try, right Bugs?" Charlie interrupted, amazed at how ridiculously wicked the ATV looked.

"Charlie I wouldn't feel right letting the father of my future godchild drive something this amazing; sorry you have responsibilities to think about" Elizabeth teased.

"You wouldn't?" Charlie challenged, Elizabeth would never leave him out of the fun.

Elizabeth, Richard and Jane broke into laughter at Charlie's seriousness at being denied while Darcy glared at Richard for his attempt to one up his gift. After thanking everyone again for the gifts Elizabeth got up and walked to the piano sitting in the corner of the room overlooking the snow covered landscape of the driveway. Taking a seat on the stool she began playing Doug Hammer's _Summer (4)_, missing her nightly piano sessions due to training. Blocking out everything and playing from memory she closed her eye and let her fingers flow. Feeling an arm wrap around her waist her eyes flew open and she turned to find Darcy seated next to her. Elizabeth never felt happier in her entire life; she was with the people she loved and everything was perfect.

"Come to distract me?"She teased.

"Absolutely not, I've come to admire your beauty and grace up close. I also never want to be parted from you again" Darcy said kissing the top of her head and breathing in the enchanting smell of plumeria that he missed.

"I know this is not what you want to hear, especially since this is our first day back together, but at the party tonight… you'll remember the rules of no contact wont you?"

"Yes" Darcy huffed in irritation at not being able to be near to her the entire evening because of the agreement he made to keep their relationship in public as merely distant acquaintances.

"That includes staring" she pointed out knowing it would only frustrate him more.

"Do you know how hard it will be not to stare at the most beautiful woman in the room?" Darcy countered put out by such regulations on his relationship with Elizabeth. However, Georgiana's well being depended on this cover up so he had no choice but to adhere to whatever guidelines Elizabeth gave him.

"Probably just as hard as it'll be not to stare at the most handsome man in the room?" Elizabeth stated hoping Darcy would see it wasn't going to be easy for her either.

"It's not fair" he complained leaning his head against the top of hers.

"Did you arrange the date I requested?" Elizabeth whispered so her playing would cover their conversation.

"Yes" Darcy replied not wanting to reveal any details about it.

"Then I'll make it fair" she responded seductively, shooting Darcy a mischievous smile and standing when she saw her mother's Range pull into the driveway signaling Chase was back to pick her up. Saying goodbye to everyone she asked Richard to walk her out to the Range.

"Rich, keep him in check tonight? We never know who is watching alright?" Elizabeth said in low voice.

"Don't worry… I understand" Richard assured knowing it was going to be a tough night for both her and Darcy. He saw the love between them, having to stay away from each other this evening was going to be a challenge.

Elizabeth hopped into the backseat and rode back to her home in a daze while Chase chattered on and on about seeing Richard and other things she didn't hear a word of.

Chase instructed her to go immediately upstairs and wait for him to start her hair and makeup, but instead Elizabeth went to find her parents.

"Happy birthday most wonderful daughter in the world would be nice?" she said sarcastically sneaking up on her father who was sitting behind his desk, glasses perched on the tip of his nose while going over some papers.

"Oh keep it up young lady and I'll return said daughter's birthday gift" Eddie smiled and walked around his desk to embrace his daughter. "Happy Birthday sweetheart, and where have you been?"

"Getting these gorgeous gifts from Jane, Charlie, Richard and Darcy" Elizabeth gloated showing her father the jewelry from Jane, Charlie and Darcy and the poster of her ATV from Richard.

"Elizabeth, why would Mr. Darcy give you diamond earrings?" Eddie questioned firmly, he knew there was something between his daughter and then man from what Maddy told him, but diamonds? That was a whole other ball park.

Elizabeth pressed her lips together trying to find an easy way to tell her father about Darcy, "I'm sort of dating him" she said cautiously, averting her eyes from her father's piercing stare.

"Dating him? When did this happen?" Eddie sat on the edge of his desk and looked pointedly at Elizabeth waiting for an answer. He knew one day he would have to deal with Elizabeth dating, but he just wasn't ready for it to be so soon.

"What happen?" Elizabeth asked genuinely confused at what exactly her father meant with both questions.

"You dating Mr. Darcy" Eddie shook his head at how innocent Elizabeth looked, it was breaking down his ability to stay firm.

"Oh, well actually we haven't gone on a date yet, so I don't think it's official. However, I guess I started having feelings for him before I came home for brunch at the club three months ago" Elizabeth responded biting her lip trying to find a way to extract herself from her father's questioning.

"Lizzie, this is serious… The man is so much older than you and to top it off he has a lot going on with this Lotus group you and your mother are always talking about" he tried to get Elizabeth to think about her choice to be with Darcy carefully.

"Papa, really? You think I just woke up and said I'm going to find a man seven years my senior and make sure he comes with baggage? Trust me I've thought about this and I really have genuine feelings for him"

"Ok, well I'll at least take comfort in the fact that you're mother has made it perfectly clear that whatever is going on between the both of you stays under wraps. At the end of the day you are my daughter and your safety and protection come first, is that understood?" Eddie didn't like this one bit, but there was no way he could deny his only child something her heart desired.

Elizabeth hugged her father, "even when I'm 50 I will always be your little girl" she said leaning her chin on his chest and looking up to him in admiration.

"Go on, your mother is in her study… I'm sure Chase will have you locked up in that tower primping and prepping, so I'll see you at the bottom of the steps at your 'extravaganza'" Eddie rolled his eyes at the last part of his comment, remembering Chase's constant correction that tonight was not a party.

Elizabeth walked down the hall and knocked on her mother's study door. Gaining permission to enter, she took a seat in front of her mother's desk and waited while she finished her phone call.

"Happy birthday Lizzie" Maddy greeted her daughter from behind her desk with a warm smile.

"Thanks mom, everything alright?" Elizabeth asked, catching the last part of her mother's phone call and sensing a bit of a problem.

"Actually, that was VP Lucas… it seems that we've come across some very important intel regarding Wickham. Apparently, he frequents a high end gentlemen's club in London and we have confirmation that he will be visiting this club Tuesday night" Maddy informed Elizabeth still trying to wrap her head around how big a deal it was that they had actually located Wickham.

"Wow, uh so has the agency contacted Darcy to give him the news?" Elizabeth asked shocked at this information. Georgiana has been missing for three months; Darcy should know that there was a chance she could be coming home soon.

"Yes, VP Lucas is informing him now. Sweetheart I am so sorry I've been so caught up in this, it's your birthday and here we are discussing agency business. "

"Mom you don't have to, the world isn't going to stop running because it's one girls 20th birthday"  
Elizabeth reassured her mother.

"Should it not for my daughter?" Maddy teased.

"The same daughter that spent her birthday morning stuck rewiring a server? It comes with the territory mom... So, what's going to happen next?"

"We're putting together a team that will be leaving tomorrow to set up surveillance"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Enjoy your party... The agency has this under control"

"Extravaganza" Elizabeth corrected with a grin leaving her mother's study to meet Chase's curling iron and makeup kit.

* * *

Darcy was sitting in the hired town and country with Richard when he received the call from VP Lucas regarding their location of Wickham. Most of the updates regarding Georgiana's search were minor, but this was huge... He was stunned with realization that his sister could be coming back home to him.

"Darce, you coming?" Richard asked sticking his head back into the car to see why Darcy hadn't come out yet.

"Sorry" he replied getting out and adjusting his suit.

"Look, tonight's a big night for Bugs and…I know you, so I'm asking nicely, behave" Richard warned as they walked towards the large crowd of photographers waiting in front of the photo opt backdrops.

"Will everyone relax? I'm fully capable of keeping myself in check" Darcy replied placing his mask of stoic indifference on and following Richard.

After posing for a few photos he and Richard moved inside the building. Elizabeth's event was held at the Bella Museum. The place was enormous and decorated elegantly with beautiful white roses, hydrangeas and ranunculuses everywhere. Entering the great ball room, Darcy's eyes widened at how magnificent the view was from the top of the mahogany grand stair case (5). Walking down he was able to see the crowds of guest scattered around their tables and mingling. Checking his mask in place he followed Richard down the steps.

"We're sitting with Charlie and Jane" Richard said leading the way to their table near the dance floor.

"Will, here you're sitting next to me" Caroline stated over excitingly, having switched Richard to sit next to Jane so she could be next to him.

Darcy and Richard greeted Jane who looked stunning as always in a long fuchsia with thin diagonal lace cut outs on the sides that went around her back; leave it to Jane to channel the simple yet still completely sexy elegant (6). When Darcy turned to Caroline he was not at all surprised to see her in something orange. Her dress was clearly something couture; it was peplum styled with a cross x neck and fell down into a mermaid flowing bottom (7). Darcy was silently thanking her for deciding on a more subtle look this evening as he knows all too well how outrageous some of Caroline's outfits have been.

"It seems the Gardiner's spared no expense for their little princess this evening, the décor is absolutely incredible" Caroline commented sweeping her hand in front of her with an air of importance. Even she had to admit how extraordinary spectacular the place looked.

"I wasn't even aware you could hold an event here" Jane added, amazed as well.

"Apparently being the daughter of the Director of the CIA has some weight in this country" Charlie responded, fully aware that money speaks and that Elizabeth's family was loaded with.

Darcy remained silent, taking in his surroundings; the room was crowded with people and he was beginning to feel claustrophobic at all the eyes staring at their table.

Richard noticed Darcy's uncomfortable behavior and said, "I would think you'd be used to all the attention by now" throwing him a questioning look.

"Can you blame them; Will is one of the world's most eligible bachelors. He is rich, successful and a Darcy" Caroline stated firmly, face smug with satisfaction at her comment.

With Jane and Charlie caught up in their own conversation, Darcy was stuck listening to Caroline's annoying complaints about how cold it is in Boston or how she cannot wait to be off to some exotic tropical island to spend the winter. This lasted for nearly an hour before the light classical music the orchestra was playing stopped and a middle age man walked on stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, please let me start by introducing myself. For those of you who do not know me I am Matthew Gardiner and on behalf of the Gardiner family we would like to thank all of you for joining us this evening in celebrating such a special occasion. We appreciate your patience, so without further ado, allow me to introduce the women of the evening my niece Miss Elizabeth Marie Gardiner" Matthew finished and the entire room aside from a spot light flashing on the staircase darkened.

As everyone in the room turned, all eyes were pinned at the top of the staircase waiting for Elizabeth's entrance. Darcy's heart was beating rapidly, threatening to burst right out of his chest. Thanking the dimmed lights for their cover he glued his eyes to the stairs determined to stare as much as he wanted without anyone thinking anything of it. When Elizabeth finally presented herself at the top of the stairs his heart stopped, there was the woman he loved unconditionally, standing in all her glory. Darcy didn't move a muscle as he watched Elizabeth descend taking in her appearance from head to toe. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant chignon exposing the creamy skin of her neck, even from a distance Darcy was able to see she was in fact wearing the diamond earrings he gave her. The gown she wore melted his entire being, she was enchanting. The deep red of the gown complimented her ivory skin perfectly and hugged every curve of her body just the right way; it was strapless leaving her perfectly sculpted arms and shoulders bare and inviting. The gown wrapped around her waist tightly flowing down into a mermaid ruffle train that slid gracefully behind her with every step she took (8). During his trance he felt a light nudge in his side. Turning he found Richard looking pointedly at him.

"Caroline is watching you, get it together" Richard whispered, seeing how gone Darcy was when Elizabeth entered the room.

Darcy didn't want to listen to Richard, only thing on his mind was his beloved; Aphrodite in the flesh. Breaking out of the hypnotic state Elizabeth put him in he looked about the room and noticed he wasn't the only one staring like a love sick puppy, nearly the entire male population in the room were awestruck and drooling over her and a pang a jealousy rushed through him, realizing that all these other men were free to talk to approach and socialize with Elizabeth while he was stuck with the no contact card.

* * *

Elizabeth reached the bottom of the staircase thankful she didn't trip and fall, not only were the heels hard to walk in, the bright spotlight was blinding which was actually a good thing because it hindered her from seeing all the people staring at her. Once the spotlight reached the bottom of the steps she was able to make out the figure of her father waiting there for her to escort her to the dance floor for the first dance of the evening.

"You look amazing sweetheart" Eddie whispered offering Elizabeth his arm.

"Thank you Papa" Elizabeth whispered back as they made their way towards the dance floor. She was able to make out a few faces in the crowd and quickly searched for that of her family.

"Your mother is over there next to Chase and Melissa" Eddie pointed out seeing Elizabeth's eyes scan the crowd, "and Jane, Charlie and the rest of their party are at the edge of the dance floor, right there".

Elizabeth followed her father's directions and smiled widely when she met her mother's eyes, both her Chase and Chase's mother Melissa were dabbing their eyes. "We can't them anywhere can we?" she said jokingly to her father as they reached the edge of the dance floor.

"If I didn't have two hundred pairs of eyes on my right now, I'd probably be in the same boat" Eddie replied smiling broadly at Elizabeth's comment while leading her to the center of the dance floor to begin their waltz. "Are you ready?" he said softly, seeing Elizabeth answer with a nod of her head he turned to the orchestra and signaled them to begin. He could not bring his mind around to accept that his little girl was all grown up, Elizabeth was his princess and seeing her walk down those steps a confident strong young woman was one of the proudest moments for him as a father.

* * *

Maddy watched with teary eyes as her husband and daughter took the floor; the two most important people in her world. She silently praised herself for making Elizabeth take dance lessons as a child, preparing her for these types of moments. She knew this would be an emotional moment for her, especially since Elizabeth just completed OT. With everything going on Maddy found herself constantly thinking how she was slowly losing her daughter to adulthood, something she as a mother was not ready to embrace. Hearing Matthew announce the dance floor open, she took Chase's offered hand and joined her family on the dance floor.

Elizabeth danced to her father's lead trying to remain in sync and not trip over her dress. Once she caught a glimpse of Darcy her heart jumped into her throat and she gripped her father's hand to keep her from stumbling in her step.

Eddie looked to see why caused Elizabeth's sudden change in expression, seeing the object of her affections he immediately understood.

"Let me guess, Mr. Darcy?" he said softly, seeing Elizabeth blush red he knew he was correct.

"Sorry Papa, I have no idea why I'm behaving like such a teenager" Elizabeth whispered, frustrated at her weak restraint to keep herself composed.

"Don't be silly Lizzie, it's natural… I'd say embrace it, but your mother will probably kill me so as a birthday gesture let me just say there is a wonderful secluded balcony over there" Eddie replied casually using his eyes to point Elizabeth in the right direction.

Elizabeth smiled at her father and abandoned the waltz altogether hugging him with all the love and admiration she felt in her heart. Her mother and Chase were dancing next to them and Elizabeth stepped back and they switched partners.

"Thank you, for everything. I mean it Chase… you're kind of" Elizabeth started saying when Chase decided to finish her statement for her.

"The Shit? I know" Chase stated as he and Elizabeth fell into the steps of the waltz.

Elizabeth could have easily shot a nasty remark at him, but he really was a great cousin and the whole place looked amazing. When the dance finally ended, Chase led her to her seat next to him and dinner was served. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at Chase when she realized the seat she was placed in had a clear view of Darcy across the dance floor.

"You can thank me later by giving me the Hermes Birkin bag I unwrapped in the gift room" Chase said giving Elizabeth an evil grin.

"Get Darcy to meet me on the balcony after the cake is cut and it's yours" Elizabeth whispered so her mother wouldn't hear them negotiating.

"Done" Chase agreed thinking he got the better end of the deal.

"Elizabeth, I think now would be a great time to go around to each table and greet your guest" Maddy suggested noticing Elizabeth wasn't touching her plate.

* * *

Darcy sat moving around the food on his plate trying to distract himself from staring across the dance floor, at Elizabeth sitting with who he hoped was her cousin Chase. Even if that was her cousin, Darcy was envious of how close he was to her, how he laughed and spoke to his Elizabeth without rules and restraint; he felt like a caged beast with the amount of strength he had to use to keep him from making sure every man in the room knew Elizabeth was not available. Feeling like it was long enough since his last glance at Elizabeth he looked across the room casually, but Elizabeth wasn't in her seat quickly scanning the room trying to find her.

"Jane, Charlie you both look amazing" Elizabeth said walking up to their table with Chase following close behind.

This startled Darcy causing his brain to shut down at how close he was to Elizabeth, her presence alone brightened up the mood at the table and he felt like the room was getting warmer.

"Happy birthday, you remember Mr. Darcy?" Charlie replied trying to keep up with the whole acquaintance charade.

"Yes of course, Mr. Darcy thank you for celebrating with my family and I this evening. Please allow me to introduce you to my cousin Chase Gardiner, Chase this is Mr. Darcy the D of DB Corp" Elizabeth said as if she was introducing someone she barely knew.

"Mr. Darcy it is a pleasure to meet you" Chase said stunned shitless at how drop dead gorgeous Darcy was in person.

"Mr. Gardiner" Darcy replied rising from his seat to shake Chase's hand.

"Oh please, call me Chase" Chase said, lingering longer than necessary near Darcy.

"Chase darling, what a delight to see you again" Caroline said completely ignoring Elizabeth's presence and speaking a bit too enthusiastically for Chase's liking. He knew her far too well that she was only being nice to snake her way into his circle of friends.

"Caroline, what a pleasant surprise" Chase lied putting on his best fake smile.

During Chase's exchange with Caroline, Elizabeth took the empty seat at the table between Charlie and Richard keeping herself in check and forcing her attention on Jane and Charlie rather than on the deep blue eyes directly across from her. When she finally caught Chase's eye she subtly hinted for him to fulfill his end of the bargain.

"Please enjoy the evening" Elizabeth said excusing herself from the table and leaving Chase to take care of her secret meeting with Darcy.

Sitting at the same table as Elizabeth and not even getting further acknowledgment aside from her greeting hit Darcy hard. It was as if he didn't exist, which was exactly how it should have been, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being hurt and neglected. When she left to greet other guest he felt like he was losing her; never one to question his appearance, but seeing her smile and talk to other men made him think why someone as amazing and beautiful as Elizabeth would want to be with him.

"It was so nice to meet you Mr. Darcy" Chase said holding out his hand that discreetly concealed the note to meet Elizabeth.

Darcy nearly lost his bearings when he felt the piece of paper slip from Chase's and into his. Darcy excused himself for the restroom shooting Richard a subtly hint to distract Caroline while he made his getaway. Catching a glimpse of Chase standing a few feet away from the concealed doors to the balcony, Darcy took his smug look of all knowing as a confirmation that the coast was clear. He walked out on the balcony and was graced with the most breathtaking sight of Elizabeth's backside as she leaned on the railings. He was glad to see large heaters near her to block out the freezing cold of Boston's winter night.

"Waiting for prince charming?" he asked walking forward to stand next to her.

"Fuck prince charming's sheltered spoiled ass, I'm waiting for my knight in shining armor, he's the one that'll fight for me" Elizabeth smiled and grabbed the lapels of Darcy's suit and said, "but I guess Armani will have to do". Pulling him down to her level and smashing her lips against his glad to have convinced Chase to forego the lipstick and leave her with a clear lip gloss.

"I can't leave for another hour and a half" Elizabeth moaned softly, her eyes closed enjoying the wonderful feeling Darcy's kisses were creating inside her.

"An hour?" Darcy tried his luck at bargaining for a shorter wait.

Elizabeth smiled, "fine" she said against his lips.

"I'll text you the address" He said inhaling the intoxicating scent of her neck.

"I can't wait" she said slowly removing herself from Darcy's hold and walking back towards the ballroom.

"Elizabeth" Darcy called out, not moving towards her in fear that he wouldn't be able to let her go. "You look amazing tonight" he said staring deeply into her eyes to assure her he meant what he said full heartedly. She mouthed him thank you and returned to her party, leaving him out on the balcony waiting a couple minutes before reentering.

* * *

Maddy and VP Lucas were having a conversation of their own on the balcony on the other side of the ballroom regarding new information about Wickham.

"Appears, Wickham has reserved his usual booth for Monday night and not Tuesday and what complicates things even more is that Agent Timely has the flu; there's no way she's going to be able to perform" Charlotte stated, knowing full well Maddy was going to hate what she was going to say next.

"Well who else do we have?" Maddy questioned her mind running a million different thoughts at once.

"I'm sending Elizabeth" Charlotte responded firmly.

"Excuse me?" Maddy felt like she had just gotten slapped in the face.

"She's the best damn technical support we have, she is beautiful and has the body to pose as a stripper and frankly as of last week she was cleared as my newest agent"

"She's my daughter, you're not sending Elizabeth"

"I'm sorry director, but as VP I'll take this to the board and plead my case within the hour and I'm sure you know they'll agree she is the most qualified"

"Do that and I'll have your job" Maddy's entire attitude changed and she was now in full rage at Charlotte's disregard of her authority.

"She has gone through a year's worth of training in three months, I've seen her training footage she took down opponents twice her size. Elizabeth is our best shot at getting Wickham, if you really want to do her a favor, stop babying her and acknowledge the fact that she deserves this"

"Don't tell me how to handle my daughter" Maddy spat, taking offence at Charlotte's insinuation that she was holding Elizabeth back.

"Then with all due respect Director, please don't tell me how to handle my agent" Charlotte responded turning and leaving Maddy standing on the balcony in complete shock at what just happened.

* * *

Elizabeth bid her father goodnight after not being able to find her mother and let him know she was going to be spending the evening with a friend that she was certain he knew was Darcy. Going home to pack an overnighter and change she drove to the address Darcy texted her. Seeing the house she could not believe Darcy rented that whole thing for the both of them. Before she even knocked on the door he swung it open and pulled her inside taking her bag out of her hand and carrying it for her.

"Hope you didn't have any trouble finding the place" Darcy said giving her a light peck on the cheek.

"You're joking right? I could navigate through Boston with my eyes closed" she replied taking his offered hand and following behind as he led the way. "Why on Earth would you rent such a humongous house?" she asked taking in her surroundings.

"Shhhhh, no questions… just go with it" Darcy shook his head and pulled her deeper into the house, stopping when they arrived at their destination. "Now close your eyes". Seeing Elizabeth comply with his request he opened the door and walked her into the center of the large room, completely empty except for white shear sheets hanging from the ceiling surrounding a circular mattress, pillows and cushions. "You can open your eyes now" he said putting her bag down and giving her the ok once they were standing in the middle of the room.

"Is that a fort?" Elizabeth asked taking in the structure of white sheets flowing gracefully down the ceiling; the sight was absolutely magical.

"Yes it is" Darcy responded offering his hand out for her. "Elizabeth will you dance with me?" he asked pulling out a remote from his pocket and clicking a few buttons. One to start soft classical piano music and another that shut off the lights leaving everything pitch black except for hundreds of little lights on the ceiling (9).

"Dancing under the stars" Elizabeth said softly her eyes glowing with emotion at the ceiling above.

"We'll be sleeping under them too" he replied pulling Elizabeth closer while the music played.

"This is perfect" Elizabeth exhaled and snuggled deeper into Darcy's chest, "but I wonder?"

"Yes?"

She pulled away and led Darcy to the bed situated underneath the fort and after removing her shoes pulled him down with her.

"I wonder if these stars are accurate" she said placing her head on his arm both of them looking up to the ceiling to make out the constellations.

"I sure as hell hope they are or someone's going to get fired tomorrow" Darcy teased, enjoying the warmth of Elizabeth's body next to his. All he wanted these past few months was to hold Elizabeth in his arms again and here she was, right where she belonged. He stared at her abandoning the outside world and just watched her as she pointed out the different patterns above.

"You're not even looking" Elizabeth scolded fully aware that the entire time she was speaking and pointing Darcy never removed his eyes from her face.

"I am looking, at the most beautiful…" Darcy said softly "most intelligent, enchanting" he nuzzled her ear, "remarkable woman I've ever met" he finished kissing the area around her ear softly.

"You know the best part of being in a fort is the satisfaction knowing you built it yourself" she replied sitting up and looking down at Darcy's now disappointed face.

"But now I have more time to focus on you" he responded trying to pull Elizabeth back down, but she moved out of his reach.

"Seriously, there's something I want to talk to you about" she said in a stern tone.

"What is it?" Darcy sat up worried he had done something wrong.

"My mother told me about the newest intel they received regarding Wickham, I know this is a very sensitive subject for you, but I'm here if you want to talk about it. Really, anything… your sister, your past, us; I can't promise that there aren't going to be problems, but I can guarantee you'll never have to face them alone" Elizabeth could not stop thinking about how much a part of her life Darcy has become, she needed to make sure he knew that he was important to her and that she would always be there for him.

Darcy did not expect such a confession from Elizabeth, hearing those words caused his heart to swell with passion and deep adoration.

"Elizabeth," he said softly voice horse with emotion. Taking her hands in his he brought them to his lips, "I would not be able to have gotten through any of this without you. You have given me hope for Georgiana's return and for a future filled with love, with you the woman I love" he surrendered himself to her knowing there wasn't any other person he would want to spend the rest of his life with.

"When your sister is found and returned, do you think she'll like me?" Elizabeth questioned, it was something that was bothering her. She loved Darcy and it made her nervous that his sister's return would somehow cause him to realize that their difference in age was a problem.

"She'll love you, why would you even ask such a thing?"

"I'm only two years older than her and I'm just scared out of my mind that you'll finally hit the reality of it and…" Elizabeth was near tears trying to find the words to express herself when her struggle was put to rest by the pressure of Darcy's lips on hers, kissing her with purpose; disappoint when he pulled away.

"I am in love with you, Elizabeth. Your age, job, family and reputation are all parts of you, but all those things can be stripped away and I would still be completely lost in love with you. I love you, for who you are deep inside and I will til the day I leave this Earth" Darcy spoke firmly, his hands holding the sides of her face and a breath away from hers.

"Do you promise?" she whispered looking into his eyes, seeing the answer to her question clearly.

"Is this promise enough" Darcy replied taking a small box out of his pocket and opening it.

Elizabeth's eyes widen at the sight of yellow diamond ring (10). "Darcy is can't accept that, you already gave me such expensive diamond earrings put that away" Elizabeth demanded trying to close the box, but Darcy was too quick for her and instead of putting the box away he removed the ring and placed it on her left hand ring finger.

"You don't have a choice, you wanted a promise so here I am promising you that I will never stop loving you"

"Your word will be more than enough, this is just too much" she said sliding it off determined to return the ring, accepting diamond earrings was one thing, but this ring was just completely outrageous.

"Please leave it on, it was my mother's. My father gave it to the woman he loved as his promise to love and cherish her forever and now I'm giving it to the woman I want to make the same commitment to". Darcy had the ring flown in from his family's vault in Sweden wanting to give it to her the day she came back from visiting her parent's in Boston, but things did not go as planned that night and since then it remained in his possession taunting him.

Elizabeth was speechless; never in her life did she think this was how she would spend her 20th birthday. Darcy had just given her his mother's promise ring and his vow to love her for the rest of his life, there wasn't anything that could explain the rush of pure joy flowing inside her. Knowing exactly how she would return his love she moved on top of his lap, bringing her hands to cup both sides of his face and said, "I will only accept this if you will let me repay you" her voice low and inviting.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Darcy groaned leaning back slowly against the bed and pulling Elizabeth down with him.

"It will take a lifetime, but I'll let you determine whether my method of payment is agreeable" she whispered against his lips finishing her statement by covering his mouth with hers.

"Elizabeth" he moaned into her neck flipping on his back and pulling her body long with him so she was laying on top. "My love, you're all mine" he declared between each heavy breath.

"Tu sei la mia vita" (you are my life) she responded, her chin resting on top of his chest as she watched him come down from his state of ecstasy.

"I love you" Darcy whispered bringing his head up and moving his lips forward as a silent request for a kiss from Elizabeth which she gave him.

"always?"

"and forever" he said with a smile as he closed his eyes to embrace the amazing feeling of intimacy he and Elizabeth just shared.

"I love you, Fitzwilliam"

"I must admit the way you say that name makes it sound like a whole other language; possibly that of angels" Darcy confessed his hands finding their way down to Elizabeth's back.

"It's your name" she said innocently as she relaxed into his warm embrace.

"May I request that you never call me anything but that from now on?"

"I'll think about it" Elizabeth said softly, a yawn escaping her as she snuggled closer into Darcy's body.

Quite exhausted himself Darcy pulled Elizabeth in tighter and brought the covers around their bodies letting sleep take over.

Some few hours later, Elizabeth faintly heard the sound of a special ringtone she set when VP Lucas called, her eyes opening to a dark room and the weight and warmth of an arm around her waist. Finally letting her location and predicament click in, Elizabeth realized she would have to get up and answer Charlotte's call. With caution she slowly removed Darcy's arm from around her waist and slid as silently as she could out of the fort towards her bag near the door. Picking it up she tipped toe out the room and closed the door behind her fully aware that she just stepped out into the hall naked.

"Hello" she whispered into the phone as she walked down the house opening every door in search of a bathroom.

"Eli you need to be wheels up in 30, the Jet is waiting for you now" Charlotte said calmly into the phone.

"I'm kind of in a sticky situation here, I'm going to need huge cover for this one" Elizabeth said frantically grabbing for the extra set of clothing she packed.

"I'll take care of it" Charlotte replied ending the call to allow Elizabeth some personal time to extract herself from whatever situation she was in.

Elizabeth quickly showered and dressed only stopping to brush her teeth and wrap her hair in a messy bun. Pick up her bag she opened the door to the room she spent the night with Darcy in to find him still asleep under the fort. Her heart was beating rapidly as she felt her nerves taking over her emotions. This was her first agency call and she had no idea what to expect, at the same time she had to leave the man she loved behind. Feeling like a coward she located his pants from last night and dug in the pockets searching for his phone. When she didn't find it, she searched the floor finding it next to a shiny object near the mattress. Picking up both her eyes widen at the sight of one of her very own pocket knife tracers. What Darcy was doing with it was a mystery to her. Wanting to take a part of him with her she stuffed it in her pocket and picked up the rest of her belongings scattered around the room, giving Darcy one last look softly whispering her love for him and closed the door behind her. Elizabeth didn't have the heart to wake him just to lie to him, so she recorded a video message of herself on his phone, took a sticky from the pad she found on the desk inside what was a study and left the phone perched against the large vase on the entry table a place where Darcy would easily see it walking into the hall.

Elizabeth drove her father's Audi to the airstrip handing the keys over to attendant instructing him to place it in long term parking. The cold winter breeze cut her exposed face like needles and she rushed up the stairs leading into the jet.

"Hello Gardiner" Kyle said seeing Elizabeth rushing inside the jet.

"Dansky, hey uh what's going on?" She questioned shaking off her coat and sitting down in the seat opposite her handler.

"Mission Hope" he responded nodding his head to the pilot that they were ready for take off.

"Did I miss the briefing?" She asked completely clueless of what Dansky could be talking about.

"The mission was only established a few hours ago, by request of the VP you were allowed that time to enjoy your birthday, now there's a lot to cover so look over these files while I go over the mission" Dansky replied sliding a folder across the table to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth took the papers out and started to read them over when the flat screen in the back Dansky caught her attention.

"Breaking news, Boston Fire Department is currently in pursuit trying to contain a fire at S.A.I.A headquarters which started only minutes ago. It seems that the fire was the result of a car crashing and exploding into the east side of the building. There is no information regarding the condition of its driver or if there was anyone injured inside the building, but stay tuned as we'll keep you updated as new information becomes available" the woman news caster reported, Elizabeth watched with horror as her life's work was burning in flames.

"Shit when the VP said she would handle it, I didn't think she would set my fucking building on fire" she yelled slamming the papers in her hand on the table.

"Well, at least you'll be covered, now pay attention Gardiner. We are going to London, Mission Hope is what we have called the extraction of George Wickham" Kyle said staring at Elizabeth to see what her reaction to the name would be.

"Wickham?" Elizabeth mouth dropped to her feet.

"He frequents a gentlemen's club in London and we've learned that he'll be there tomorrow night"

"How exactly do you plan of carrying out this extraction with the heavy line of security I'm sure he carries with him, not to mention the brainwashed society Lotus controls?"

"With you" he stated confidently.

Elizabeth looked down at the papers in front of her and connected the dots.

"I'm posing as an escort? What get him in bed and call it a day?" She asked the nerves of her first mission being one of huge importance pushing up her throat trying to get the best of her.

"No, a stripper... Wickham doesn't do escorts, surveillance of his previous visits show he spends most of his time in a private booth settled in the strip lounge" Kyle responded a bit embarrassed at his thoughts of Elizabeth stripping.

"A stripper? Wow ... Wasn't expecting that. Shouldn't agent Timely be taking the lead on this one?"

"She has the flu. Now, we are meeting Agent Trent, Agent Wilson, Agent Parker and Agent Lowe at the safe house in London. They have established you as a new up and coming act with the club owner so you'll be working under the alias of Jessie Reyes, code name be Eagle. Parker will go over costume and mission design and Trent will cover your step by step objectives once you've gotten Wickham alone. You won't be armed so stay alert and focused. We have no idea what he's capable of so if you do find yourself in a compromising position your panic phrase is Peter Piper. Do you have any questions?" He asked looking for any discomfort in Elizabeth's facial features.

"How do we know he'll even take the bait?" She asked thinking about how unconvincing her efforts at being sexy and alluring might come off to a man who was used to watching professional strippers perform.

"If he's straight, trust me you have nothing to be worried about" Kyle responded thinking how Elizabeth would even question how much a man could desire her.

"We'll I guess I have some homework" she said exhaling deeply and turning all her focus on learning everything about the character she was playing and the man she was trying to seduce.

Ten hours later they were sitting in the large conference room of the safe house listening to Maria cover the mission basics.

"Trent will be posing as bartender, Wilson, Lowe and I will be watching and waiting inside room 210 for you to bring Wickham back" Maria said turning to Wilson to finish the rest while she left the room to grab Elizabeth's wardrobe for the mission.

"After your set go to the bar and wait for Wickham to approach you, reel him in and bring him to the room. We'll handle it from there" Wilson finished signaling Agent Lowe to take the floor.

"We need Wickham to Cooperate and lead us to Miss Darcy, so his apprehension is important. Failure to secure him tonight could end months of trying to bring down Lotus and also Miss Darcy's life" Agent Lowe informed Elizabeth of the weight of the mission.

"I understand perfectly, if we are finished here I have to check the transmitters and get my ear piece fitted" Elizabeth wanted to lie down and breathe for a moment. Everything was happening so fast but what was really bothering her was how much she missed Darcy, she was mere hours away from undergoing a mission to capture his sworn enemy; to reassure him of her love would help calm the turmoil running through her head right now.

* * *

Darcy replayed the video Elizabeth left on his phone over again; viewing the video so many times he lost count. Waking up to an empty bed was cold and lonely. After the amazing night they had together he wanted to wake up with her in his arms, but instead she was gone and all he had to make sense of it was all the news coverage of her building being on fire and the video recording she left. Taking his scheduled flight back to San Francisco earlier that afternoon, Darcy was lost with thoughts of Elizabeth while he tried to get his files ready for his case the following morning. Touching the play button he leaned back against the seat of his large office chair and watched her face come on screen.

_Good morning Fitzwilliam, you've probably wondering why you woke up alone so let me explain. I got called away on an emergency and you looked so adorable I just didn't have the heart to wake you. I don't even know where to start; last night was without a doubt the most magical night of my life. Thank you for the best first date a girl could wish for...  
_  
Darcy watched Elizabeth paused as if trying to find words to say.

_I love you, yeah...that's it...I love you; there isn't any other way to tell you how I feel except by saying that I am crazy in love with you._ _Last night you gave me this beautiful promise. I want you to know that I will never let you regret making it.  
_  
Seeing her hold up her hand with his mother's promise ring on it made his heart swell with love.

_I'm going to honest…love takes courage and I'm terrified... Scared of how easy it is to love you and how much of my every thought you consume. What I feel for you is… is real and it's strong and I'm completely sure that I won't be able to live my life if you aren't apart it. Now that I know what it feels like to be truly happy, I want you to know how essential you are to that happiness. So here I am…my dearest...sweet Fitzwilliam, telling you I need you. Waking you, to tell you I had to leave would have been the hardest goodbye I've ever had to make, forgive me for leaving you? I full heartedly promise to make it up to you.  
I have to go, but just so you know, you're the most amazing person in my world. I love you Fitzwilliam, always._

Darcy's eyes glossed over watching Elizabeth confess her love with a kiss ending her video. He couldn't help but feel like she was saying goodbye for good; her words and facial expression were strong and filled with so much passion it tore through his soul. Swallowing down the lump forming in his throat he tapped the tip of his phone on his forehead pleading with himself to focus on the day ahead of him and trust that Elizabeth was safe and well.

* * *

**A/N:** MATURE chapter is posted. Would you look at the length of this one…whew. Well thanks to everyone for reading, just a heads up I will be trying desperately to finish this story before I start school at the end of August so let's keep our fingers crossed that I do or else updates will be happening even slower than usual…BOO! Like I said about the links, sorry if they are distracting, but I really have a thing for visuals, hope you guys keep reading and don't get upset with my choice of direction with the story plot. I don't own any rights to any of them or the brilliance of Jane Austen's characters, but thanks again for reading.

**Links In Profile:**

(1)(2)(3) Elizabeth's Gifts

(4) Piano Piece: Doug Hammer Sunrise

(5) Extravaganza Setting

(6) Jane's Dress

(7) Caroline's Dress

(8) Elizabeth's Dress

(9) Starlit Ceiling and Fort

(10) Promise Ring


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: From Stripping to Awkward**

"Welcome everyone, tonight we have a very special treat for you all. Our next act is the sexy secretary you've always wanted to fuck but would never give you the time of day. Here she is; feisty, confident and ready to work…Jessie Reyes" the club DJ announced.

Elizabeth was back staged trying to control her breathing as she waited for the DJ to finish introducing her as the next act. Looking down she checked herself over before walking up the three steps backstage that lead to the opening to the strip stage. Her heart was pounding as she took in the pant suit she was wearing that she would have to slowly strip away to reveal the sexy lingerie she was hiding underneath (1,2). In an effort to channel some confidence to get out there and be sexy Elizabeth closed her eyes and let the beat of the music the DJ dropped to signal her entrance take over her. She was performing to a track she loved, Joss Stone's _This Is A Man's World _rendition (3). Stepping from in back of the curtains she walked onto the runway lit on both sides by small lights that help illuminate the stage, the entire room was pitch black aside from the runway lights and the dim red lighting around the stage. Although she couldn't see it, there was no doubt in her head that all eyes in the room were pinned on her causing her to freeze.

"Do something" Elizabeth heard Trent's voice through her transmitter causing her to pop back to channeling her inner stripper.

Finding the rhythm of the song, Elizabeth walked slowly and seductively down the runway her hands creeping down unbuttoning her suit jacket letting it slide off her shoulders and onto the runway. Letting the fedora she was wearing shield her face she wrapped one leg around the pole at the end of the walk reaching her arms above her head to grip the pole and swing herself around. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she was able to make out a few faces in the audience. Scanning the room she stopped on a dimly lit booth situated towards the back. Untangling herself from the pole she noticed the few men seat directly around the runway and decided to play the stripper role up. Dropping to her knees right in front of one of the gentlemen seated near the stage she very slowly began unbuttoning her crispy white blouse letting the music take over her she reached out and grabbed the man's tie pulling him closer to the stage she was kneeled on and just as he reached out to grab her she pushed him back and leaned back on her heals to pull herself up to continue with her strip.

"Eagle, straight ahead he's on the left side of the booth you're facing now" Trent update Elizabeth from the bar her was situated at, finding it hard to concentrate on any of the orders the woman working the floor were giving him because of how distracted he was by Elizabeth's performance.

Looking harder through the dark room, she finished removing her oxford shirt her eyes shooting to the face in the booth that was now fully visible because of the light coming from the cell phone he was holding in front of him giving away his identity. Elizabeth nearly lost her footing, grabbing onto the pole to steady herself she slid down to a split position and popped back up to play off her misstep. Needing to speak into her transmitter she turned her back to the crowd and unzipped her pants letting them drop to her ankles, swaying to the music to focus attention on her backside.

"We have a problem, sitting next to Wickham is Mr. Collins… he'll recognize me and the whole mission will be ruined. Someone get him out of here and hold him, he's obviously someone Wickham trusts if he's sitting next to him" Elizabeth whispered quickly realizing she had her rear end facing the crowd and was now only clad in the black lace lingerie, heels and fedora hat.

Taking her time to turn back around, she made her way towards the end of the runway keeping her head down to conceal her face long enough for one of her team members to get Collins out.

"Roger that Eagle, Maria is coming in now" Wilson responded, the only way to get Collins out willingly was to appeal to his manly urges and Maria was the only one who could pull that off. So he sent her in to lure Collins out and up to the room for questioning.

Elizabeth swirled and popped her hips from left to right teasing her way down the aisle noticing the men sitting around the walk were drooling and gawking at her like she was dinner and they were starving. While she was very skeptical about getting up and performing so provocatively, seeing men behave like this made her a little more confident. Seeing a small commotion at the booth where Wickham was sitting she pressed her butt against the pole and slowly slide down the pole letting her hands follow this movement down her body til she was in a squat position with her hands resting on her knees.

"Collin's has been removed from the room, and Wickham is hooked, reel him in now your music ends in 20 seconds" Trent said, as he watched Maria escort Collin's out giving him a clear view that Wickham's eyes were pinned on Elizabeth.

With Collin's removed Elizabeth brought one hand to her fedora and pulled it off throwing it off stage and letting her dark chocolate curls loose. Swinging her head to let them free she dropped from her position to all fours and did the only thing she thought would seal the deal. Locking her eyes with the only figure she saw left in the booth she slowly crawled towards the end of the runway biting and sucking at her lower lip. She could see Wickham's figure, but because of the darkness of the room his facial expression wasn't clear and all she could do was hope she lured him in. As the music ended and the DJ closed her act she rose to her feet and grabbed whatever article of clothing remained on the stage and left towards her dressing mirror backstage. Seeing as though she still had to get Wickham back to the room upstairs, Elizabeth opted to only wear the lingerie and her white oxford shirt, leaving it unbuttoned as she walked from backstage to the bar to meet with Agent Trent.

"You think that was enough" she whispered taking a seat at the empty bar.

"He's watching you now, so my guess is he'll be headed this way very soon… and here he comes now" Trent replied as he watched Wickham's movement from behind her.

"Quick, fill a shot glass with water" Elizabeth ordered. Although she wasn't old enough to drink, she had tried a few alcoholic beverages and found she really didn't have the test buds or stomach for them. Needing to seem like she was down to have a good time she quickly downed the shot of water closing her eyes to pretend like the drink was strong.

"Another one for the lady please bartender" came a smooth voice from behind her. Elizabeth turned and saw the man from the pictures she had spent the entire flight studying, he was definitely easy on the eyes, but knowing his history with Darcy all that flew out the door and Elizabeth was all focus.

"Thank you, but I really shouldn't. I've already had too many this evening" she responded giving Wickham her best flirtatious smile.

"May I?" Wickham asked motioning towards the empty stool next to her.

"Be my guest" she answered feeling her nerves slowly creeping up the back of her neck.

"You're new here?" Wickham asked as he took in the beautiful woman he was sitting next to. She was completely gorgeous and unlike the other women he was used to seeing in the club, her beauty was stunning and breathtaking rather than fake and over painted with makeup. The fact that she had a perfect body didn't hurt either. There was something very mysterious about her that caught his attention and he was fixed on having her accompany him back to his usual room upstairs.

"What can I say, waiting tables isn't going to put me through Cambridge" Elizabeth replied.

"Beauty and brains, what if I told you I could help you with that?" Wickham offered wanting to get Elizabeth upstairs soon so he could finally see what was really underneath the sexy lingerie she was wearing.

"I'd say money talks and I'm a very good listener" she shot back biting her lip and lightly running her finger along Wickham's jaw line. Feeling his tongue graze that finger almost made her want to gouge his eyes out, but keeping her disgust and rage under control her eyes focused on the large wad of cash Wickham dropped on the bar brought. Relief washed over her knowing she was halfway towards finishing this mission. Picking up the cash and stuffing it in the pocket of her shirt she grabbed Wickham's hand and led him towards the door, turning to give Trent on last look before leaving the room.

"Eagle, we're holding Collins is in room 210… If Wickham sees him he'll jet out of the room. You're going to have to go with him to his room" Wilson updated Elizabeth through the com. He didn't like the idea of Elizabeth being left in an unsurveillanced room with Wickham, but they had to adjust the mission to accommodate their acquisition of Collins. There was no doubt in his mind if Wickham tried anything, Elizabeth would be able to handle herself.

All the relief she felt leaving the club left her and her body shivered with tension at being alone in a room with Wickham. Desperately trying to formulate a plan as they reached the room Wickham was leading her to, she thought the first thing she should do was let Wilson know what room they would be in.

"The Presidential Suite?" Elizabeth asked Wickham, hoping that Wilson would understand.

"Of course only the best" Wickham replied enjoying the look of surprise on Elizabeth's face. He was going to enjoy this very much.

"I hope you're not one of those high class rich business men who come here to cheat on their wives, because let me tell you those men are really no fun at all" Elizabeth jumped back into her role and tried to flirt her way through making Wickham talk. She knew Wickham's type well, he enjoyed being complimented and loved feeling in power.

"And what type of men are you interested in?" Wickham replied moving closer to her and snaking his hands around her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Honestly, I like really… bad…boys" Elizabeth whispered pulling herself from his grasp and pushing him down to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Well let me assure you darling I'm possibly the baddest of them all" Wickham said enjoying the roughness of Elizabeth's behavior.

"Really? What makes you think you're so bad" Elizabeth asked climbing on the bed and positioning herself in back of Wickham's sitting figure running her hands up and down his arms.

"Let's just say the things I've done would make you regret wanting a bad guy" he responded closing his eyes and letting himself become lost in Elizabeth's hands massaging his shoulders.

"A man with secrets?" Elizabeth whispered leaning her head closer to Wickham's ear, her arms sliding down his chest from behind slowly unbuttoning his dress shirt. She had to think of an extraction plan quick before things got too heated.

"You have no idea what I've done" Wickham's voice was strained with desire and he could barely even focus on the words Elizabeth was saying when he felt her fingers brush against his chest.

"Tell me, please… Nothing turns me on more than knowing how dangerously bad a man could be" she said as she removed his shirt and climb off the bed, positioning herself in front of him standing between his legs. Feeling his hands wrap around her and grip her ass, the instinct to beat him shitless return and it took every part of her to stay in character.

Wickham was lost with hunger to have Elizabeth under him and was all too willing to give in to any of her request if it meant he would get what he wanted. Before even thinking he said, "An old friend of mine screwed me over when we were in college, I just recently evened out the score by taking something very important to him" Wickham revealed between breaths as he kissed and licked Elizabeth's exposed midsection on display in front of him.

Elizabeth felt nothing but disgust as Wickham's tongue and lips pressed against her skin, feigning arousal she responded, "Fuck that is so sexy" she used a bit of force and yanked Wickham's head back "what did you take?" she asked as seductively as she could settling herself down on his lap moving her hips slightly to keep Wickham in his lustful state.

"I can't say, but the irony of it is it's been under his nose the entire time" Wickham said while pulling Elizabeth's shirt of enjoying the soft moans coming from her lips.

"Really? How so" she replied pushing his head into her neck, hiding him from seeing her roll her eyes nauseated with the feeling of him touching her.

"It's at his aunt's house" Wickham admitted sliding his hands up her back to unlatch her bra.

"Eagle we're coming in" Wilson announced through the com pulling Elizabeth out of her role as stripper and giving her the green light to make Wickham pay. Elizabeth sprung into action, while Wickham reached for her strap she grabbed the shirt laying on the bed and in one swift motion she twisted off his lap bringing the shirt around his neck pulling back hard and using the bed as support to keep him from over powering her.

Wilson stormed through the door with Agent Trent following close behind him; they took in the scene of Elizabeth strangling Wickham and rushed to the bed before she asphyxiated him to death.

"Eagle that's enough we'll take it from here" Wilson ordered seeing the rage in Elizabeth's eyes.

Not wanting to violate a direct order Elizabeth let go of the shirt and watched as Wickham dropped to his knees grapping at his throat. She took the bag Agent Trent held out towards her and walked out of the room towards the living room of the suite to dress and cool down.

After tying Wickham to the chair and stripping him of any electronic device Wilson sat and waited for him to regain his composure.

"Who the fuck are you guys?" Wickham asked completely shocked shitless at what just happened.

"Mr. Wickham, you have two choices here, you can cooperate and save us all some time or you can remain silent and we'll be forced to make you talk. Just so you have an idea of the situation you're in I think you should know that your friend Mr. Collins is in the same position just a few rooms down. Now where's the girl?" Wilson demanded hoping that Wickham would make things easier on them.

"Fuck you, I'm not saying shit" he spat taking Wilson's statement as a bluff.

"Suit yourself, your friend is singing like a bird right now… so anything you'd have to say would be useless anyways" Wilson responded after hearing Collin's confessing everything to Maria through the ear piece he was wearing. He rose from his seat and moved to leave the room, before he walked out the door he turned and firmly said, "if you try screaming for help I'll put a bullet through your head".

Wickham smirked, "I won't have to scream, if I don't answer that phone when it rings in a few hours my people will know something is up and come looking for me". He couldn't have been more grateful for the boss calling him in to check on a few shipments leaving the bunker this evening.

"That's not going to be a problem, Collin's loyalties apparently lay with whomever is pointing a gun at his head" Wilson countered feeling the weight of Wickham's comment and realizing they had to make their move within the hour if they wanted to have the element of surprise in extracting Georgiana.

* * *

Darcy woke to his phone buzzing, reaching his arm out into the darkness to feel for his phone on the night stand he found the offending object and checked who was calling him at 3:00 am. Pushing the green button he placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello" he said half asleep into the phone.

"Sir, it's Alex I'm sorry for any inconvenience my call may have caused, but something of a very important nature had just happened" Alex, the Darcy family accountant said nervously into the receiver.

With everything going on with Georgie, Darcy immediately sat up and turned on the lamp on the night stand.

"What is it?" He demanded, now fully awake and alert.

"A man by the name of BIll Collins has scheduled a meeting with me regarding the handling of your mother's jewels. Apparently he is the accountant of your aunt, a Lady Catherine De Bourge " Alex was a colleague of the late Mr. Darcy; there was never of doubt of his loyalty towards the Darcy family. Darcy trusted him with handling the financial affairs regarding family investments, properties, Georgiana's inheritance and family jewels ect.

"My aunt's accountant? What could she possibly have to say over my mother's jewels now?" Darcy questioned quite confused as to what his snake of aunt was up to now.

"Well sir, apparently Lady De Bourge is claiming they belong in her possession since you mother was a Fitzwilliam before marriage"

Darcy was exhausted with dealing with his aunt's rants and complaints regarding how his mother's possessions were handled. Running his fingers through his hair and releasing a frustrated breath he knew the only way to solve this was to address his aunt in person.

"Thank you Alex. There will be no meeting, I will take care of everything" Darcy said with a tone of authority into the phone.

"Of course Sir" Alex replied.

After hanging up with Alex, Darcy got out of bed and walked down the hall where Richard's room was and informed him that they would be leaving for London within a few hours to deal with their aunt's current outrageous attempt at being the wicked witch of the family. She has been trying to get her hands on his mother's jewels since his father's death; her childish rants and charades were getting old. Especially when she was pushing his step cousin Anne on him. What was even worse than her pushing Anne on him was the fact that Anne didn't object to the idea. It was like having Caroline Bingley all over him except Anne was technically family.

When he returned to his room, he thought it was useless to try and fall back to sleep so instead he packed a few things for the short trip and then picked up his phone to deal with whatever messages were left since he last checked them. While clicking through the messages he was silently hoping that one would be from Elizabeth, waking up without her next to him was heart wrenching. He replayed the way she wrapped her hands around him, the way her eyes sank into his soul and the feel of her lips pressed against his. She was without a doubt his biggest weakness; the pull she had on his entire being was strong, her video message tore his heart right out of his chest. It felt like she was saying goodbye for good, as if she gave herself to him knowing she wasn't coming back. He tried calling her and texting, but didn't receive any reply, how he made it through an entire day without hearing from her was shocking. After watching her video message over again Darcy began feeling like he was over analyzing the message, he shook his head back to reality. Elizabeth loved him; she made love to him, she was going away on business and would come back to him, there was nothing else to think about.

Tossing the phone he was holding down on the mattress, Darcy closed his eyes, leaned his back against the head board and let the thoughts of his sister coming home and Elizabeth being there with him welcoming Georgie back flow through his head. He couldn't imagine a future that didn't have Elizabeth in it, she would always be the only woman for him; life would not be complete if she wasn't by his side. With The Compound handling Georgie's return everything would fall into place and he would have the two most important women in his life back where they belonged; with him, safe and sound at Pemberly.

Before he knew it the clock on the nightstand read 4:00, Darcy rose to prepare for his trip with Richard to see their dragon Aunt. Knowing Richard wouldn't wake til 6:00 he decided to make use of the gym down stairs; a part of Richard's penthouse amenities that he probably never took advantage of. Trying desperately to push the thoughts of Elizabeth from his mind he slid the card key and entered the gym, determined to work his way through his frustration.

Darcy felt one of the most comforting things about owning his own jet is that there weren't random strangers watching him, but in this case maybe a stranger watching him was better than Richard watching. He could feel Richard's eyes piercing his skin, having enough of the intense stare Darcy decide to figure out what Richard wanted.

"You've been staring at me since we took off, what do you want?" Darcy said in a very annoyed.

"What did you and Bugs end up doing Saturday after her party?" Richard was curious; when Elizabeth left her birthday party she was far too excited and with Darcy also missing something obviously was up. Not wanting to interfere with her focus regarding her trip he decided he'd drop questioning her and try Darcy,

"Shit, how'd you find out?" Darcy's hands gripped the arms of his seat; he thought he was very secretive about the whole thing.

"Dude best friend of said date sitting right here" Richard said in an all knowing tone that made Darcy cringe at what he and Elizabeth actually shared with each other.

"Well what did Elizabeth tell you?" He said trying to sound as if nothing of real importance happened that night when in reality it was the most amazing night of his life happened.

"She didn't say anything, but you just admitted it… "Richard beamed at Darcy falling for his trap.

"Have you heard from her, it's been an entire day and she won't pick up or return my messages?" Darcy interrupted.

"Only a text saying she was going on a business trip and would call me as soon as she got a chance"

"Can I ask you something?" Darcy was a bit suspicious about this business trip Elizabeth was going on, the message she left him was haunting him like there was some hidden message in it.

"Yeah, but I asked you one first so If you want me to answer you, I'm going to need an answer too" Richard reason, not wanting his curiosity to be swept under the rug.

"I rented out a mansion near Lake Geneva, there were indoor stars and a fort" He said trying to sound convincing. Last thing he was going to do was betray his and Elizabeth's privacy to Richard even if he could be trusted, Elizabeth gave her heart to him; he would never do anything that would hurt her.

"That wouldn't happen to have been The Oaks mansion would it?" Richard questioned, something Elizabeth told him a while back coming to mind.

"Yes, Why?" Darcy answered a bit confused how Richard would know that.

"Look at you being all romantic, you know you could have saved a few thousand had you just asked Bugs to call the owner herself. Her parents are good friends with the Dows they happen to own the arena, any game or event the Gardiners would have the best seats in the house on the house" Richard joked, he knew Darcy all too well. His mantra was always go big or go home and renting one of the largest mansions in Boston was definitely going big.

"And how would you know this?"

"Well Bugs once told me her parents were great friends with the Dows and being a huge fan of the Boston Celtics of course I knew exactly who they were, Bugs of course could carless about my obsession with wanting to invest in a basketball team"

"Why would I ask Elizabeth to make arrangements for a date that I planned?" Darcy rolled his eyes at Richard's clueless remark.

"Oh calm down Darce, I'm just saying the Gardiner's have very strong connections, especially here in Boston. Kind of gives you a clue about the woman you're getting involved with" Richard shrugged; Darcy really had no clue about the dynamics that came along with dealing with Elizabeth and her family.

"Does Elizabeth usually go on business trips so last minute? I though her uncle was the face of the company?" He questioned trying to hide the extent of his curiosity.

"Honestly, no. Only time she left San Francisco was to visit her parents, vacation with Jane and Charlie and that one time Charlie said she got into trouble for something dealing with The Compound. Oh and the three months she was away just recently, I guess she's getting more involved" Richard didn't understand where Darcy was going with this. May be Elizabeth was finally taking on more of the business side of her company rather than working behind the scenes.

"It doesn't strike you as odd that she left so suddenly for a business trip if she never really took them before? Don't you think she would've had more than a couple hours notice?"

"I don't know what you're getting at Darcy, but Bugs isn't a liar. If she says she's going on a business trip then that's where she's going" Richard said in defense of his friend. Elizabeth was the most trust worthy person in the world, Darcy couldn't possibly be hinting towards Elizabeth being deceiving as to her whereabouts.

"And what about when she went away those three months before that Charles mentioned?" Darcy was very suspicious now.

"What about it? Her company is her business" Richard was getting very defensive now; Darcy didn't know what he was talking about.

"I'm just saying, she left quite abruptly. I'm just worried that's all" Darcy noticed Richard's expression was very close to the edge and he backed off. He may not know Elizabeth as well as Richard, but that didn't mean he didn't care about her just as much even more in his opinion. He had to talk to her, this whole sudden business trip was not sitting well with him especially considering the fire that burned down half her building.

"She's may not have given us specifics, but I stand by my statement; it's her business" Richard replied in a tone that signified the end of the discussion.

They rode the rest of the flight to London in silence. Once they landed there was a helicopter waiting for them on the airstrip to take them to Rosings. If there was one thing about their aunt that was certain, it was her love for money and showing it off. Having her own helicopter landing pad was a little over the top for Darcy and Richard's taste, but it was her money and how she used it was up to her.

Rosings has always been a beautiful estate; large acres of trees and grass land and a large lake surrounding the eastern side of the property. The home itself was very old in architectural style with its interior decorated very fine, screaming the owner spared no expense in its furnishings.

Darcy and Richard walked into the large double doors of the sitting rooms entrance and were greeted by their aunt, who was flanked by Anne and two of his aunts body guards, which was another expense Darcy thought was extremely unnecessary.

"Nephew, what a pleasant surprise" Lady Catherine cooed knowing to expect Darcy's arrival when he found out about Mr. Collins making the appointment to meet with the Darcy family accountant. Turning to address Richard she said, "Oh and you brought Richard, how unfortunate for you to have to fly all this way stuck on a jet with him"

"Why Aunt Cathy aren't you looking, old" Richard retorted. He and never liked the woman, he didn't like Anne even more. She was certainly her devil of a mother's spawn. "Cousin Anne" he greeted coldly.

"Hello Aunt, Cousin Anne" Darcy greeted civilly. While he didn't care much for either woman sitting in front of him, for his dear mother's sake he was always polite towards her only sister and her sister's step daughter. Anne was the daughter of the Earl Eric De Bourge, Lady Catherine's late husband and since marriage his aunt had brought her up to behave just like her step mother; sneaky and manipulative to get whatever she wanted.

"William what a pleasure to see you again" Anne said flirtatiously identical to the way Caroline Bingley would have. She walked over and grabbed Darcy's arm and pulled him into a hug that he did not invite, but knew there was no escaping. Taking the seat on the same sofa as Richard, Darcy approached the reason for their visit directly.

"Aunt why have you contacted my accountant for a meeting regarding my mother's jewels?"

"Oh nephew can we not have tea before you get into one of you serious discussions? Here have some tea" Lady Catherine beckoned the maid over to bring the tea.

"I just spent half my day traveling Aunt, can you skip the good hostess pleasantries and tell me why you have contacted my accountant?"

"Your mother was a Fitzwilliam before marriage and with that there are family heirlooms that should stay within the Fitzwilliam family" she stated with her ever present air of authority.

"They were her belongings and they have been given to their rightful owners as stated in her will. Great Grandmother's emerald necklace was returned as my mother requested, I see no other reason for you to set up a meeting with Alex" Darcy responded taking the tea he was handed by one of the maids.

"I want the jewels William, Anne deserves to have pieces of my family's legacy" She huffed, her anger at Darcy's defiance rising inside her.

"Well aren't you a hypocrite, no offense Anne but for someone who is huffing and puffing over family heirlooms remaining in the family you sure are eager to have a woman that doesn't have a drop of Fitzwilliam blood in her wear them" Richard interrupted sensing his Aunt's deception.

"I am not giving you my mother's jewels, I allowed your request to see all the Fitzwilliam blood line jewels four years ago and I am done discussing their handling Aunt. They will remain in the Darcy vault until I see reason to have them moved" he finished by shooting his aunt a stern look of his authority of his mother's possessions.

"Nephew do not address me in that tone, I am your aunt and as such you will show me respect. At least let Anne view them to see which set of engagement rings she'd prefer" Lady Catherine eased her comment in with a much different tone than she started with. She was pinned on having Darcy marry Anne, not so much because she thought they would build an empire together here in London, but more so to get her hands on her late sister's two sets of engagement rings. The one that belonged to their mother and the one's Darcy's father had given her.

"For fucks sakes Aunt, Anne is Darcy's cousin, he has no intention of entering any type of relationship with her. This is the 21st century that type of shit is disgusting" Richard spat shaking his face with distaste.

"Hush Richard this has nothing to do with you, besides you father is quite eager to discuss a few matters of business with you. I suggest you begin your drive back to London now as it will be well past a decent dinner hour when you arrive. Darcy will be staying here tonight" she instructed an evil smile of victory taking over her face.

Richard had no idea what his aunt was up to, but knew he got the better end of the bargain on his way back to his parent's home in the city.

Darcy finished off his tea and excused himself for bed without dinner as he was suddenly feeling a wave a sleepiness course through him.

Lady Catherine smiled at her nephew's retreating back as he walked up the stairs knowing she would get what she wanted whether Darcy liked it or not. The drug she had her maid put into his tea should kick in full force within the hour giving her time to prep Anne for the next step.

"Anne, must I remind you how imperative it is that you do not fail?" she asked while supervising Anne in her preparation.

"Of course not mother, I am fully aware of what I need to do. Assuming the drugs you gave William do their job, I'll then slip in his room, undress him and when he wakes he'll find me in his bed naked as well and think we slept together. Nothing like a fake baby to make him feel obligated to marry me and thus you will have the rings. Why is it you want these rings so badly?" Anne asked as she slipped into her silk robe, covering the lace lingerie she wore underneath.

"It's not the rings I want you fool, it's what one of them holds. I just don't know which one so you'll do your job and marry Darcy, get the fame and greater fortune along with it and I'll finally get my hands on both sets of rings" Catherine spat thinking her step daughter a moron for even thinking all this was over family heirlooms.

"My only wish was that he was a bit conscious to see me in this, but I'll settle for all that during our wedding night if it means having to deal with whatever freak outburst he's going to have in the morning" Anne admitted giving herself a one over in the mirror. It was already midnight; she would have to make her move now just in case the drugs wore off quicker than her mother anticipated. Slowly opening the door to the room Darcy was staying in; she crept in and saw his sleeping figure sprawled out on the bed. Slipping off her rope and letting it drop to the floor she walked over to the side of the bed and flipped him from his side so he was laying flat on his back. Climbing on top of him she started to unbutton his shirt when the opening of the bedroom door startled her and the last thing she remembered was seeing someone dressed in all black shoot a dart at her that grazed her arm causing her to blackout.

* * *

Wickham sat tied to the chair in the suite trembling in anticipation of what would be decided. If they were smart he would be released, but what he hadn't anticipated was their acquisition of Collins; that complicated things for him as Collins was sure to break under pressure. Why the old hag kept him around baffled him to his core. Watching the door open and seeing Agent Wilson enter the room he perked up in his seat.

"Let me guess the toad cracked, what did he tell you?" Wickham asked see his chances of getting out of this disappear.

"That's right, Collins revealed that Mrs. De Bourge is the one calling the shots and who ordered for Georgiana's kidnapping and she is currently being held in the bunker located under the Rosings estate. Collin's really wasn't hard to crack and I'm somewhat confused as to why a notorious drug cartel like Lotus would allow an idiot like him in on such a scheme, but that worked in our favor which means you no longer have information we need" Wilson said sternly.

"What are you going to do with me?"Wickham questioned seeing how serious Agent Wilson was at not needing him anymore.

"Well, we'll be civil and have you secretly shipped back to the U.S where you'll be held in CIA prison or we can take the more exciting route and release that you were seen vacationing on some exotic island but really I end this shit and toss you in an unmarked grave. I'll even let you chose where in England you want to be buried" Wilson finished grinning smugly at Wickham when he saw how sick Wickham's expression turned. After Ordering for Wickham and Collin's transportation, Wilson walked into the adjoined room where Elizabeth sat studying the blue prints for Rosings Maria was able to download from the SIS network.

"Gardiner, gear up we're heading out... You'll be securing the third floor, Agent Trent and I will locate the bunker and extract the package. Once you've secured your floor you and Agent Lowe will load any captives into the Helio. Maria will surveillance the entire mission from the second helicopter in the air" Wilson ordered.

"Don't you think I should assist you in the extraction of the package? From what we learned from Collins she might take our recue the wrong way and become frightened" Elizabeth countered thinking about how scared the poor girl might be, having to deal with such an ordeal.

"Yes... Excellent point, you'll be teamed with me, I'll let Trent and Lowe know of the change" with that Wilson walked across the room to inform the others of the change.

The four agents sat in the helicopter in full gear; they were covered in black from head to toe with only their eyes being visible through a straight cut in their masks. Each was strapped with their utility belts and individual choices of weapons, Elizabeth choosing to forego any gun and only strapping herself with her tranq shooter and enough ammo to take down a herd of elephants. Her body shook in anticipation of the mission, flying over their destination, she still could not wrap her head around the fact that Georgiana was kidnapped by her own aunt and said aunt was the head of Lotus. Everything was happening so quickly and before she knew it the helicopter had landed and Maria was giving them point location of any guards as they made their way inside the house.

"Phantom and I are headed up stairs" she heard Trent's voice through her ear piece, Phantom being Agent Lowe's codename for the mission.

"Roger that" Wilson confirmed next to her.

They crept their way into the house alert for any security that would come rushing their way as she was sure they realized the surveillance outage wasn't a coincidence.

"Grizzly, Eagle the corridor you are looking for is straight ahead, be cautious I see two figures heading your way from behind and a couple towards the right corridor" Maria warned as she surveillance the halls and rooms through her tap of the feed. The place was swarming with guards on the upper floors and while she was simultaneously calling out their positions for Agent Lowe and Trent she also was trying to guide Elizabeth and Williams towards the bunker entrance in the basement.

"Oh Shit!" Trent said in complete shock as he entered one of the rooms on the 2nd floor.

"Jag what is it? Elizabeth called Trent's mission codename.

"You're not going to believe this shit but I just tranqed a woman who was on top none other than our client himself" Trent replied still staring in horror at the sight of Darcy and an unknown woman straddling his waist thanking his luck that she was wearing under garments still. What surprised him the most was that the woman was the only one who reacted to him storming into the room, Darcy didn't even move a muscle as the woman attempted to jump off of him before he shot her with the tranq. He walked closer to Darcy and realized he was out cold, not knowing what to do Trent shot Darcy with the tranq and walked out of the room to secure the rest of the his floor.

"WHAT!" Everyone including Maria shouted in complete unison into their transmitters causing Trent to cringe with the buzz of his earpiece.

"Mr. Darcy's here and with a lady friend. I tranqed them both, I'm leaving to secure the rest of the floor... Let's focus here guys we can discuss this shocking news later" Trent ordered as he crept down the hall where he saw shadows moving across the walls. Once his floor was secured, Trent started moving the hostiles back to the helicopter for transport.

Elizabeth was frozen in spot; there wasn't a single clear thought running through her head as she took in Trent's words. Darcy her Darcy was here and he was with another woman; her whole system shut down and she leaned against the wall for support.

"Eagle, what's wrong?" Wilson turned and found Elizabeth clutching one hand to her forehead and the other to her stomach.

Taking Wilson's concern as a slap in the face she quickly composed herself and nodded, "I'm fine just feeling lunch kicking in" she replied in an effort to distract him.

"Maybe you should never have taken that dare to eat a snail" Wilson said as they continued their pursuit towards the basement.

"There should be a lever of some sort that will open a secret passage to the bunker" Maria instructed as she followed Elizabeth and Wilson into the basement on her monitor.

Elizabeth and Wilson pushed and pulled about every object they could get their hands on and nothing would work.

"Shit it's like looking for a needle in a hay stack... You got to give us something here Maria" Elizabeth said a bit out of breath from scurrying about the room looking for the trigger to the door.

"Hide, those men that were following you are just outside the door" Maria directed watching as Elizabeth and Wilson hid underneath the large table against the wall. When the men entered she saw them kick the wall just below the light switch causing the standing freezer in the corner to prop open and reveal the entrance to the bunker. After giving the ok that the coast was clear she watched as Elizabeth and Wilson disappeared behind the freezer, her surveillance was no longer possible from that point forward.

"Grizzly, Eagle you guys are on your own til you get out of that bunker... I'll keep you updated with everything on our end, good luck" Maria informed them as she refocused her attention on Agent Trent and Agent Lowe.

Elizabeth followed at Wilson's heels as they ran down the halls of the bunker to find the guards that just did them a favor. Hearing whispered voices she grabbed Wilson's arm to halt his movement.

"That way" she whispered pointing in the direction the voices were coming from. They walked cautiously down the dark hall Elizabeth watching the back as Wilson lead the way.

Wilson stopped at the door that was left slightly ajar and he very slowly peeked inside the crack. He saw the two guards blocking his view from someone sitting in the chair. As one of them moved to the other side of the room, Wilson nearly gasped at the sight of Georgiana gagged and tied to the chair he face and appearance resembling one who was deprived of basic human necessities for survival.

"The Package" he mouthed to Elizabeth whose reaction to his words resembled his when he caught a glimpse of Georgiana. He motioned Elizabeth to stand opposite him at the doorway and with his fingers he counted to three on the third count he swung the door open and both he and Elizabeth fired shots at the two guards surrounding Georgiana.

"This is Grizzly, we've secured the package" Wilson updated into his transmitter.

"Copy that, get out of that bunker and I'll guide you guys to the Helio" Maria responded, relieved to hear the news.

"We're here to take you home Miss Darcy" Elizabeth spoke softly as to not frighten the girl. "I'm going to remove your binding okay" she said looking at Georgiana for her approval. Seeing the girl nod her head Elizabeth took out the knife secured in its strap by her boot and very carefully cut the cloth away. Once Georgiana was free Wilson looked out the door to check for anyone approaching.

"I'm going to secure the rest of the corridor" Wilson announced as she left he room.

"We were hired by your brother, when my partner returns he's going to help support you, are you alright with that?" Elizabeth asked as she took in Georgiana's trembling body. Again Georgiana just nodded and Elizabeth couldn't help but let her heart drop at seeing how scared and defencless she was. When Wilson returned, Elizabeth watched as he put her arm over his shoulders and supported her waist with the other. Giving the signal for them to follow close behind, they left the room and made their way back to the basement entrance. As much as Elizabeth wanted to let the thought of Darcy's unconscious body upstairs take over her head she realized she still had a job to do, regardless of how much she felt betrayed she would complete the mission and deal with him later.

"Third floor completely secured I'm going to assist Jag with the last two captives" Lowe said through his transmitter.

"Negative Phantom, I have activity on the staircase, two figures appear to be moving towards the roof top" Maria instructed.

"I'm on it" Agent Lowe responded heading upwards on the staircase to try and catch up to whoever was trying to get to the root top landing pad.

"Roger that, Trent said returning from placing Darcy in the helicopter, "What the fuck? Did someone retrieve the female hostile I left on the 2nd floor?" he asked confused as to why Darcy's lady friend not in the room he left her in.

"No, Phantom is headed towards the rooftop" Maria answered, trying frantically to find the video feed coming from the room Trent was now in.

"Mr. Darcy's lady friend is missing" he reported searching the room for any sign of her.

"What do you mean she's missing?" Wilson question through the transmitter, baffled that the tranqed woman would be missing.

"I went to load a Mr. Darcy and came back to retrieve Darcy and the woman and she isn't..." Trent was silenced when a piercing pain shot through his right thigh.

"Jag?" Elizabeth asked confused to his sudden break in sentence. Hearing nothing she asked again and still no answer. After a few more seconds of silence Trent's voice came over the coms very faintly.

"I've just been shot" Trent whispered, he wanted to answer Elizabeth back but with the woman in the room he didn't want to give away the other members of his teams presence. See the unknown woman run out of the room he wanted to warn Agent Lowe she was headed towards the staircase leading to the roof top.

"Hold on Jag, Base where's Phantom? " Wilson asked his voice panicked.

"He's on the staircase, still headed towards the roof" Maria answered frantically checking the 40 different camera angles to try and find Trent and Lowe's location.

"Shit, Base we're coming on the bunker door do we have the green light?" Elizabeth wanted to get out of there every part of her was shaking in fear, but leaving her team was out of the question.

"The woman Jag tranqed is on Phantom's tail, Eagle you guys have the green light to get out of there. Jag? You stay with me okay, Once the Package is secured we'll get help to you asap" Maria responded trying to calm and reassure Trent that they were coming for him..

"Grizzly you take the package and I'll go to the roof, secure her safety and return for Jag" Elizabeth instructed turning to see Wilson's horror struck face at learning Agent Trent was shot and his shooter was not tailing Agent Lowe.

"Grizzly, fucking get it together... I need you focused. Take the package to the Helio we're wasting time" Elizabeth demanded grabbing his shoulders and shaking them into action. Then she turned to Georgiana, "He's going to take you to safety, you can trust him ok?" Elizabeth assured the frail girl and turned to push open the small trigger that propped open the freezer entrance. She followed Wilson and Georgiana all the way to the front door and then took the ladder that ran all the way up the side of the house leading her to the landing pad. Taking in the scene in front of her once she reach the top of the ladder she saw the blades of the helicopter start spinning and she barley caught the image of an elderly woman hopping inside the Helio. Taking out her tranq gun she was just about to shot the older woman when out of the corner of her eye Agent Lowe burst through the door and was running towards the Helio shooting it with his pistol.

Elizabeth was frozen in place when she heard the loud crash of the pilot's window breaking and turned to find that Agent Lowe had shot the pilot, before she could even process anything else she felt the life sucked out of her when Agent Lowe dropped to the ground and move towards cover.

"Phantom" Elizabeth yelled running towards him and dropping to the ground next to him. Crawling behind the ventilation system tubes, she made her way to Agent Lowe's side hoping that she remained undetected from the woman shooter."Stay with me Phantom, come on" she trembled and her hands were shaking so fiercely that she couldn't keep them still enough to position them on the left side of Lowe's chest.

Anne watched the man she shot drop to his knees and begin to crawl for cover, wanting to make sure she would make it to the helicopter with interference from him she fired shots at his disappearing figure. The sight of a smaller figure jump in front of him and crouch over him, wanting to secure her passage to the helicopter Anne fired a shot at the back of the small figure and pulled the trigger to shoot another when she realized she was out of ammo.

As she pulled Agent Lowe towards safety Elizabeth was stunned in spot by the sound of another shot being fired and an unbearably sharp pain of fire coming from her lower abdomen. A clicking sound from behind her brought her back to the situation and she saw the unknown shooter drop her now empty gun and start running for the Helio. Nothing but rage burned through Elizabeth's body. As painfully weak as she felt, she quickly spotted Agent Lowe's Pistol next to her. Without a second thought she picked up the pistol and aimed it straight at the woman running towards the helicopter. Aiming at her chest Elizabeth fired once and saw the woman fall to the ground. The throbbing pain in her abdomen currently numb from her adrenaline rush, Elizabeth aimed the gun with purpose and revenge towards the helicopter where the older woman was standing on the landing pad trying to extract the dead pilot from the front of the helicopter.

Elizabeth yelled, "Make another move and you'll end up like your friends" with complete confidence and power in her voice. The fact that both she and Agent Lowe were on the ground bleeding out wasn't even present at the moment, the only thing she was sure of was that she was going to put a bullet through this woman's head if she even attempted to put that helicopter in the air. Elizabeth could see the older woman contemplating her options and the reality that she was going to be shot dead before leaving the landing pad sinking in.

"What makes you think you'll hit me? You're bleeding, your partner is dying and you're threatening me?" Lady Catherine spat trying to buy time and search for her gun. Realizing she left it inside the cockpit she had to make a choice whether to go for it or surrender.

"The fact that whether I miss or not I still have bullets left to try, now put your hands on your head and drop to your knees" Elizabeth demanded as she started to feel the pain of her bullet wound burning through her whole body.

"You have no idea how miserable I am going to make your life you stupid bitch" Lady Catherine spat challenging Elizabeth's threat.

"And you have no idea how serious useless your threats are if you're dead. Shut the fuck up and get on the ground" Elizabeth ordered eyes piercing with anger as she kept the gun pointed at the woman.

"I'll be released and when I am, you're going to be sorry" Lady Catherine dropped to her knees and held Elizabeth's blood fire gaze while she placed her hands behind her head.

"Released? And who do you think is going to bargain this release. Collins? Wickham?" Seeing the shocking horror pass across the Woman's face after hearing that her lifelines were apprehended made Elizabeth release the breath she had been holding during this confrontation between her and the older woman. Realizing she couldn't move to secure De Bourge, Elizabeth had to think quickly. Using the last remain strength she had she picked up her tranq gun beside her and shot two pullets into De Bourges shoulder. As she watched the woman drop to the floor she heard Maria's voice come in through her earpiece.

"Eagle this is base, the medic team has taken the second helicopter to transport Jag to the hospital and I am current in transit with the package… ETA of the next transport is 30 minutes. What's you and Phantom's status?" Maria responded as she sat next to Georgiana and Agent Wilson in the helicopter.

"Phantom doesn't have 30 minutes and neither do I" Elizabeth was scared and her pulse was racing with panic, Agent Lowe could be dead in that time and she was beginning to feel sharp pains and dizziness pulling over her, she had to do something. Reaching in her waist belt she began throwing out everything searching for the pocket knife she had taken from Darcy. Flinging it open she knew the alarms at Weinstein would go off and Lennon and Novak will trace her location. She looked at Agent Lowe's motionless figure next to her, removing her mask that was now soaked from the tears streaming down her face she lifted her hand and firmly pressed it against Agent Lowe's left shoulder.. Using her other hand she found his pulse, it was very weak. "Stay with me, help is coming" she whispered as she looked on as Lowe remained silent and still. Every part of her own body was weak and her eyelids felt heavy, trying to hold on until help came she sat with her head pressed against the vent. The sound of helicopter blades coming closer made her look up in relief. There she saw her parent's Turbine Bell 407 helicopter coming in from the distance, the realization of being saved took over forcing her to give in and she closed her eyes and let the intense feeling weariness take over.

* * *

Agent Wilson sat in the CIA safe house interrogation room seated across from a just awoken Darcy.

"Mr. Darcy, what were you doing at Rosings? And why does your blood test show large amounts of Rohypnol in your system?" Agent Wilson asked still a bit shocked at how the mission turn out.

"As I said before, Catherine De Bourge is my aunt and I was visiting to discuss matters of family business with her. As to the Rohypnol, after I drank a cup of tea I started to feel very fatigued and retired immediately to my room, next thing I knew I woke up in this foreign room strapped to a chair… now will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Darcy demanded quite fed up with being treated like some criminal.

"I'll be the one asking the questions, now when you were found there was an unknown woman in your bed… could you explain her relationship to you?"

"Woman? What woman, I went to bed alone" Darcy roared at his accusation that he was a man of promiscuity.

"There was a woman on top of you when one of our agents entered the room, this woman right here" Wilson replied as he slid a picture across the table for Darcy to see.

Upon seeing the photo of Anne before him Darcy's eyes widen in realization of what might have happened.

"That's my step cousin Anne; this was probably some scheme of her and my Aunt to get us together, now I demand to be released. I am not saying another word without contacting my attorneys and frankly I have no idea why I am even here so as a lawyer myself I see no foundation for holding me and I want to speak to your superiors as you have no idea who you are dealing with" Darcy spat, his frustration growing by the second.

"Mr. Darcy I suggest you make yourself comfortable as you obviously have no idea who you're dealing with" Director Gardiner said as she walked into the room and dismissed Wilson from his seat. One look at Darcy made it clear he was completely shocked at seeing her standing before him. "I take it that you now know that there is no need to make any phone calls as I'm sure you have realized your rights and freedoms don't exist when no one even knows you're missing" Maddy looked pointedly at Darcy for her words to dawn on him. "Seems you have found yourself in quite a predicament" she stated as she leaned back into her chair and waited for Darcy's response.

"Mrs. Gardiner, what is going on here?" Darcy asked in pure astonishment at seeing Elizabeth's mother walk into the room.

"I was hoping you could answer that very question, you see Mr. Darcy I have an agent dead and two fighting for their lives, but what the most tragic part of this situation is the fact that it was a the hands of your, what did you call her? Step cousin Anne and your aunt Catherine De Bourge during the mission to extract your sister from Rosings…"

"Georgiana was at Rosings?" Darcy interrupted face filled with confusion.

"Yes, only some 100 feet away from the very room you were sleeping in, now do you understand the situation?" Maddy asked her voice firm and icy as she glared across the table at the man her daughter fancied, the man she made the decision to take on as a client, the man who might have possibly had the answers to this whole puzzle the entire time and was just playing them like pawns. She was furious, but knew she needed to handle this professionally, but how was that possible when her daughter was one of those agents in the hospital.

"Mrs. Gardiner, I assure you I have nothing to do with any of this, my sister was kidnapped for Christ's sakes what she was doing at Rosings I know nothing of" Darcy tried to defend himself, although every logical thought in his head was a blunder as he tried to understand that his own Aunt was somehow responsible for kidnapping his sister, the news shocked him to the core.

"So I take it you also knew nothing about her being the head of Lotus?" Maddy asked examining Darcy's face intently to see if he was trying to deceive her. What she saw was utter confusion and disbelief causing her to feel like maybe Darcy was in fact telling her the truth.

"Mrs. Gardiner I know nothing about my Aunt's dealings with Lotus. I'm telling you all I know. I came to Rosings with Richard to deal with her attempts at getting her hands on my mother's jewels, after an hour of conversation and one cup of tea I found myself completely drained and I retired for the evening. That was the last thing I remember before waking up here" he stated hoping that Maddy would see the truth in his confession.

"As hard as this maybe to accept Mr. Darcy, but you'll be kept in here til my agents give me confirmation regarding your story. I will however tell you that you sister was extracted from a bunker underneath your Aunt's estate and is now being examined by a doctor. She was found malnourished and with scrapes and bruises, but from what I have been informed she was untouched sexually and will recover just fine. Once the doctor's have given clearance I will have you escorted to the hospital to see her" Maddy said as she rose to exist the room, before she turned the knob to leave she heard Darcy speak.

"Thank you, Mrs. Gardiner" He said voice faint and sincere.

"Don't thank me Mr. Darcy, thank the agents that put their life on the line; I just hope you're story checks out, because if it doesn't I swear I'll make you disappear. There will be no trace of you ever being here, I'll take your life and make it seem like you fell off the face of the Earth" Maddy threatened as she left the room, leaving Darcy sitting there completely dumbfounded by her threat. How had things had gone so wrong puzzled him, all he could think of was that Georgiana was finally safe. Closing his eyes he let his thoughts consume him and he tried to make sense of everything going on, hoping they would discover his innocence and let him go.

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait… hope you enjoy. One Chapter left so please hang in there for the ending, it will be worth it I promise faithful readers.

I apologize if the story got confusing, but just in case you didn't catch my code name attempt,

Eagle - Elizabeth

Grizzly - Wilson

Phantom - Lowe(assigned with Timely, but she got sick)

Jag - Trent

Base - Maria

The Package - Georgiana

**Links:**

(1,2) Elizabeth's Mission Outfit

(3) Joss Stone "This is A Man's World"


	20. Chapter 19

"Mrs. De Bourge, you do understand by not speaking you're only speeding up your sentencing" VP Lucas stood behind the mirrored glass watching Catherine De Bourge sit in the interrogation room stubborn as hell. "And by sentencing I mean your inevitable fate of death row".

Catherine De Bourge sat in the interrogation room motionless; the shock of being caught and found out coursing through her; all those years of scheming and illegal activity gone up in flames in one night. "I am a Lady, my late husband was an Earl, do address me properly" she demanded knowing it was no use considering her predicament. She was certain that wherever she was no one knew she was here and frankly no one could help her now. Kidnapping her own niece was a waste; all she wanted was those jewels. She thought that by taking Georgiana she would throw Darcy's emotions off balance and cause him to finally give in to her wishes if she offered to help find his sister, but that didn't happen. What bothered Catherine the most was how the CIA found out about everything. She had the best security and top of the line software in place; their attack was a complete surprise.

"Well I'm American so your name and title mean nothing to me. Now Mrs. De Bourge, this is my final attempt... You will have no trial and I have the means to throw you in a cell and no one will know where you are. We've already put a story in place that you are vacationing in South America. A trip you won't be returning from, now why did you kidnap Georgiana Darcy?" Charlotte asked her patience with the woman completely exhausted.

"Where is my daughter?" Lady Catherine snapped.

"I'll answer that when you start answering a few of my questions"

"Go to hell, where's that little bitch that shot me with a dart? You want me to talk? Bring her in here" Catherine was furious at the woman she encountered on the rooftop and although she did not see her face, she wanted revenge before she met whatever dark sentence lay ahead.

"I'll do you one better, how about a lawyer?" Charlotte responded buzzing open the door to the interrogation room and letting Darcy in to speak with his Aunt. Once his story cleared Charlotte thought it would help speed up the interrogation process if Darcy got involved. Sure he was possibly the worst choice considering Catherine did kidnap his sister and possibly ordered the hit on his father, but he was worth a try.

"I would like to think you had nothing to do with this" lady Catherine growled as she watch Darcy take the seat across from her.

"This coming from the monster who kidnapped my sister, her niece" Darcy retorted blood flaring in anger, "why'd you do it?"

"You idiot, you're just as clueless as your mother... They only person with brains was taken care of four years ago, a pity he left behind a brat of a daughter and an imbecile of a son" she threw the words at Darcy knowing he would connect the dots.

"You were involved with my father's murder?"

"Involved? Why nephew, I ordered George to kill him"

"Who the fuck are you? My father did nothing against you, he took care of everything when the Earl passed away"

"Your father stuck his nose where it didn't belong"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the secret Will he and my late husband finalized. He was the only other person who knew about it. Once the Earl died your father knew I would come after it so he hid it"

"That's absurd, do you understand how complete mad you sound?"

"For Christ sakes you moron... The jewels William! The damn Will is on a chip hidden in one of your mother's rings"

"That's what this has been about? You had my father kill, kidnapped my sister, blackmail political figures and run drugs for a fuckin Will?"

"The son of a bitch signed everything off to charity, didn't leave Anne or I a cent... There was no way he was going to take that away from me"

"Was it worth it? You're in London sitting in a CIA safe house holding room and no one knows your here. Are you aware that they could kill you and their hands will be clean?"

"You think I'd be sitting here if I had a choice?"

"You deserve whatever cruel fate is coming for you... As of now you're dead to me and my family" Darcy spat as he rose from his seat and moved towards the door, the voice of his Aunt yelling profanity at his back.

Darcy never imagined things would turn out so horribly; all those years of trying to take down Lotus ended in one night which he was knocked out from being drugged.

"Mr. Darcy, a car awaits you outside to take you to Mercy hospital. We've been informed that Georgiana is awake and Mr. Fitzwilliam is with her now" Charlotte said as Darcy walked out of the interrogation room.

"Ms. Lucas, I cannot thank they agency enough for what they have done for Georgiana. I'm forever indebted. Please let me know if there is anything I can do in return"

Darcy entered the waiting armored SUV headed towards the hospital and pulled out his phone from his bag of belongings that the agents retrieved for him from Rosings. Clicking Elizabeth's contact he placed the phone to his ear and waited, just as before he was directed to voicemail. The frustration of not being able to hear from Elizabeth was becoming too much for him. He didn't know whether to be angry or worried at her sudden disappearance. Negative thoughts flooded his head and all he could think was that she was avoiding him, but why? The door to the SUV opening interrupted his thoughts and he followed the agent that was escorting him into the hospital. It was no surprise when the agent leading him took them down a secure corridor, using a key carded elevator to take them to the wing that held Georgiana.

"Here you are Mr. Darcy, the nurse at the desk will get you tagged and show you to Miss Darcy's room. When you are ready to leave I'll be waiting in the lobby right down the hall" The CIA agent said and left Darcy to check in with the nurse, who Darcy assumed wasn't just a normal British nurse.

After he received his identification sticker, the nurse lead him to the room holding Georgiana. He watched as she pushed the intercom just outside the door and said,

"Miss Darcy, a Mr. Darcy is here to see you"

"Please send him in" Darcy heard Richard's voice answer. The nurse slid a card through the card lock causing the red light to turn green. Pushing the door open she gave Darcy the ok to enter and shut the door behind him.

Before Darcy could even process the setting of the room a small figure collided into him, looking down he saw the top of Georgiana's head buried into his chest. Wrapping his arms around her he embraced his little sister in a hug he was sure was suffocating her.

"Georgie, I've missed you so much" He whispered as he rested his chin on the top of her head. It was over four months since he last saw her and finally holding her in his arms was surreal.

"Brother you have no idea how scared I was... it was Aunt Cathy she was the one who kidnapped me, she…" Georgiana cried hysterically as she melted in her brother's arms and tried to get all her words out at once.

"Shhh, it's all over now Georgie… no one's ever going to hurt our family again" he said leading her to the patient's bed in the middle of the room. Looking around he noticed the room wasn't a normal hospital room; quite frankly it looked more like a high end hotel room, just with a hospital bed in the middle.

"Some shit this has all turn out to be" Richard said from the window he had been observing the reunion from.

"So you've heard?" Darcy asked as he settled down on the sofa parallel to Georgiana's hospital bed.

"Georgie told me everything… I always knew the hag was insane. Have you heard anything about her minion?" Richard responded as he turned and let his eyes wander over the snow covered city outside.

"Anne should be getting out of surgery now and from what I've been told she is predicted to make a full recovery. Once she is able to be moved I'm sure she'll be transported some sort of holding facility to await sentencing" Darcy said as his eyes stayed glued on his sister's face. He noticed her change in appearance, she was definitely smaller and paler, but the biggest change was how drained and lifeless she looked. "Georgie, I'm so sorry for not protecting you" Darcy spoke softly feeling like he let his sister down.

"No, William don't you ever think this is your fault" Georgiana cried, standing up and sitting next to her brother. She grabbed his hands and said, "You did the right thing, you couldn't have known how evil Aunt Cathy truly was. I never doubted for a second that you would come for me".

"I know the ordeal must have been traumatizing, but I must ask… were you treated horrible" Darcy asked his voice trembling with fear of her answer.

Georgiana saw the pain in her brother's eyes and while she knew the answer to his question was yes she spared him the agony of hearing of her struggle and shook her head no. Thinking about the people who rescued her she remembered how she thanked agent Wilson for saving her, but she wanted to thank the woman agent that helped her. Georgiana was terrified when she saw them enter the bunker room where she was being held, but the woman's soft voice soothing voice gave her confidence.

"The woman who rescued me, will I get to see her again?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if the agency will allow that, why do ask?" Darcy questioned seeing the hurt in his sister's face at his answer.

"I just wanted to thank her; she was so brave and fearless… I guess I just wanted to thank her. I feel kind of horrible, she saved my life and the only thing I know about her is she has the most enchanting hazel eyes I've ever seen" Georgiana responded remembering looking into the woman's eyes and feeling like they were encouraging her to be brave.

Darcy was confused at his sister's statement, "Don't you mean blue eyes" he replied remembering Agent Timely's eyes were blue. Thinking back to the meeting under the shark tank he was sure her eyes were blue.

"No, I'm sure they were hazel" Georgiana answered.

"I think your brother is correct Georgie, the female agent assigned to your case was a woman named Agent Timely and she had blue eyes quite like yours" Richard interrupted.

"Well, the woman that was with Agent Wilson had hazel eyes, so I don't think it was this Agent Timely the both of you are speaking of" she said, turning her head to the buzzing sound coming from the intercom.

The doctor assigned to Georgiana walked into the room and gave his diagnosis of her condition saying she would make a speedy recovery as long as she got enough rest and nutriment. He gave the green light for Darcy to take her home and left then room.

Darcy couldn't help but feel a rush of relief course through him as he helped Georgiana into the waiting SUV. They were finally heading back to Pemberley, it felt like years since he last seen his home and now that he was returning with his sister safely returned he knew home was exactly where he wanted to be.

* * *

"Maddy calm down, no one is ruling out anything" Edward Gardiner said to his wife.

"She's just so young Eddie" she replied her emotions getting the best of her causing tears to stream down her face.

Seeing Elizabeth begin to stir Eddie jumped from his seat and rushed to her side, his wife following at his heels. He grabbed his daughters hand a wave of relief crashing down as he felt a soft pressure coming from her light squeeze.

"Lizzie, can you hear me" he said softly running his free hand over her forehead to check her temperature.

Both parents watched as Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and tried to adjust to the lighting of the room and its surroundings. Blinking a few more times Elizabeth finally opened her eyes widely letting everything around her come into focus. The first thing she was aware of was how drowsy she was feeling, a strong pang of whip lash throbbing at the back of her neck.

"Dad? Mom?" she said very faintly her throat dry and scratchy.

Eddie knew exactly what to expect when a patient just woke up from the anesthetics of surgery and he had a cup of water waiting next to Elizabeth's bed which he grabbed and slowly placed the straw on Elizabeth's lips.

"We're here sweetheart" Maddy answered, as she rubbed the back of Elizabeth's hand with her thumb.

"Wha… what happened?" Elizabeth asked trying to blink her way back into reality. As she tried to reposition herself on the bed she felt it, the sharp pain coming from her lower abdomen. "Ahhh" she cried in pain.

"Stay still Lizzie or you'll reopen your wound. Here let me help you" Eddie ordered as he fluffed the pillows behind Elizabeth's back and pushed the button on the bed remote to move Elizabeth to an upright position.

"You took a shot to your lower abdomen on the rooftop some 12 hours ago. Thank God you had that pocket knife tracer on you or who know what would have happened" Maddy cried knowing full well her daughter would have bled to death if help didn't arrive when it did.

"Did we get them?" Elizabeth asked her own eyes filled with tears remembering the events of the mission.

"Yes, we got them" Maddy answered as she stared in admiration at the strength of her daughter.

" And Agent Lowe?"

"I'm so sorry sweetheart, he didn't make it"

Hearing her mother's answer caused a flood of tears to rush down her face and Elizabeth began sobbing uncontrollably. She felt her father's arms wrap around her trying to comfort her. Thinking back to the scene on the rooftop she wanted so badly to go back and do things differently, possibly change the outcome so that Agent Lowe wouldn't be gone, but she couldn't.

"And Trent?" she asked with her face pressed against her father's shoulder.

"He's recovering down the hall. The bullet went straight through, doctor said he'll be able to fly back home by the end of the week" Maddy responded as she rose to answers the buzzing intercom.

After letting the doctor in she repositioned herself on the bed next to her daughter and husband and waited to hear his diagnosis.

"Mrs. Gardiner, Mr. Gardiner… Elizabeth, I'm glad to see your up" the doctor said as he stood at the foot of Elizabeth's bed.

"Thank you doctor" Elizabeth replied trying her best to smile politely at him.

"All your tests show you are responding perfectly and we expect you to make a full recovery within two months. However, there is something very sensitive I must address" he said looking at Elizabeth for her response as to whether she wanted her parents to hear what he was going to say.

"Please continue my parents are staying" she responded squeezing both her hands which were held by each parent.

"The bullet was shot from behind and entered through the right side of your hip grazing your fallopian tube causing a bit of damage. While I can only judge from what I saw during surgery I think it's best we prepare you for the possibility of infertility because of this" he stated trying to very easily ease this bit of information out.

"You're saying, there's a strong chance won't be able to have children?" Elizabeth asked in shock as she shook her head to try and understand what the doctor just said.

"It's still a bit early, but yes… Chances are very unlike judging by the damaged the bullet caused"

While she was well aware that there were other avenues to take when wanting to have a child, the feeling of wanting to carry her own child was something she wanted to experience someday and to hear that she wouldn't get know what that would feel like crushed her. She looked at her mother who was sobbing and without thinking about the pain she wrapped her arms around her and held onto her waist like she used to as a child.

Eddie realized the moment between mother and daughter was personal and decided to take the doctor out of the room so they could discus Elizabeth's recovery and release.

A few hours later Elizabeth's parent's left to shower and pick up some dinner while Maria kept watch.

"Maria, can I ask you a favor?" Elizabeth said while they sat watching Tom and Jerry on the flat screen.

"Of course"

"The footage from the mission at Rosings, do you think I could review it, I just want to close up a few questions I have regarding what was going on while we were in the bunker"

"Sure, I have warn you though I only have from when I tapped into the surveillance feed to when base helicopter left the property" Maria confessed thinking Elizabeth's request was just normal curiosity.

"I understand, I am cleared to also view the interrogation footage?" Elizabeth asked innocently hoping Maria would say yes. She wanted to get answers to all the questions regarding Georgiana's abduction and most of all Darcy's involvement.

"I'll check with VP Lucas, but I'm sure that won't be a problem… Once I'm relieved I'll have the footage collected for you" Maria replied giving Elizabeth a warm smile. Working with Elizabeth was an honor, she still couldn't believe everything that happened in the last 24 hours, but one thing she was sure of was Elizabeth did an amazing job.

After another night in the hospital it was decided that upon her discharge she would recover at the Gardiner Manor in Weinstein. Maddy informed Jane and Charlie about Elizabeth's condition and they were on a flight to London to look after her as she had to return back to American soil to deal with their newly captured drug mafia. Although Eddie wanted to stay, Elizabeth convinced him she would be fine with Jane and Charlie while he returned home to his scheduled patient surgeries.

The doctor gave strict orders that Elizabeth was only to be moved via wheelchair, an order that Elizabeth was all too willing to comply with considering the horrible pain she felt every time she loved her hip. After saying her final goodbyes to her parents, she rested her head against the seat of the armored SUV and let thoughts of Darcy and the other woman consume her. She tried desperately to avoid it, but it was just no use. Knowing Maria would be on top of her game and get that footage to her quickly she shook her head free of the negative images closed her eyes for the hour and a half drive that was a head.

* * *

Darcy sat behind his desk having just got off the phone with Alex regarding the gathering of all the family jewels in search of the hidden chip. After making sure Georgiana was comfortable and properly tended to he buried himself in blueprints and paperwork trying to upgrade Pemberley's security system and guards. The more he tried to sort through all the security they had now and what he wanted the more he became confused. Thinking back on Richard's advice to see if Pemberley could acquire S.A.I.A surveillance software and technology he took out his phone and tried Elizabeth again. Hearing her voicemail made the headache throbbing at his head worse and he threw his phone in frustration at the sofa near the door. Just as he let the phone go the door to his study opened and Georgiana walked in to witness his frustration.

"Is everything alright William?" she asked walking over to the sofa to retrieve the phone her brother just threw. Surveying the screen to check for damage her eyes widened at the all too familiar hazel eyes staring back at her. There was a woman she had never seen in a gorgeous red strapless gown set as the wallpaper, Georgiana recognized those eyes immediately and stood there frozen in shock.

"What are you doing out of bed" Darcy scolded lightly rising from his chair and walking over to Georgiana to guide her back towards her room.

"Who is this woman?" she asked showing Darcy the wallpaper on his phone.

"Elizabeth Gardiner, now let's get you back to bed" he responded taking his phone back and ignoring all of Georgiana's questions and comments as he guided her back to her room.

"But William there's something about her that…" Georgiana protested, but Darcy was not listening as he pulled back her covers and motioned her back into bed.

"We can discuss it in the morning… Now if you want to be present when Alex comes with mother's jewels tomorrow then I suggest you keep your promise and get some rest" Darcy stated flipping off the light switch and closing the door.

* * *

"Bugs you have a package" Jane said walking into the family room and placing a padded envelope on Elizabeth's lap. Jane and Charlie arrived late the first night Elizabeth returned home from the hospital and since then Elizabeth didn't have a moment of piece. Her three month pregnant sister was stocking her every move, Elizabeth knew she was only trying to help, but having to answer whether she needed anything ever 30 seconds was getting annoying.

"Thanks sissy, I think I'll just take it to my study" Elizabeth replied seeing Maria's name as the sender. She made to wheel herself towards her study.

"Oh no you don't… I'll push you" Charlie insisted with a smug look of being Elizabeth's savior painted across his face. This gesture received an annoyed huff and eye roll from Elizabeth.

After Charlie closed the door to her study Elizabeth opened the box and popped the flash drive into her laptop. Seeing the files labeled precisely she opened the second floor surveillance file and clicked through until she found the room Darcy was in. There he was with the woman she now knew was De Bourge's daughter on top of him. He was fully clothed and motionless, but what Elizabeth found odd was that when Agent Trent stormed in he stayed in the same position while the woman frantically tried to remove herself. Seeing the tranq dart Trent shot at Anne barely graze her arm she realized why Anne was able to get back up so quickly, yet still Darcy didn't move. Clicking over to the interrogation footage and hearing Darcy confess to not having any clue as to why Anne was in the room Elizabeth felt her pulse racing, she wasn't sure if she wanted to forgive him or not. After all this was his family that was acting so deranged, the agency lost one of their finest in extracting Georgiana and seeing the criminals hit so close to home for Darcy made Elizabeth question everything. She was going to disconnect the flash drive and abandon watching anymore of the interrogation footage when her eyes stopped on a file named De Bourge Interrogation. Something inside her felt like she was invading Darcy's personal family business by opening the file, but then again Maria wouldn't have put it on if she wasn't allowed to see it. Opening it up, she listened through a couple minutes of the endless banter between De Bourge and Charlotte til she decided to fast forward to see if anyone actually stepped into the room with De Bourge. She had to do a double take when she saw Darcy entering the room. She turned down the volume to her headphones as the conversation between Darcy and his Aunt started to get louder and intense. Her eyes nearly popped right out of her head when she heard De Bourge confess to wanting Darcy's father killed all to find some hidden will. Elizabeth could see the hurt and sadness in Darcy's face as he took in what his aunt was saying, not wanting to hear any more of it she closed the screen of her laptop and released a deep long breath, she sat with her head dropped on the top of her desk for a while before realizing she was actually in possession of one of Darcy's mother's jewels. Calling for Mrs. Reyes to retrieve her weekender from upstairs she fished through it to find the promise ring Darcy had given her the night before she left. Examining the ring carefully, Elizabeth noticed a small dip behind the stone. Opening her desk draw and thanking herself for being a computer nerd and having the proper tools handy, she used the tip of an exacto knife to gently pop the stone out of place. Just as she guessed, behind the diamond was a small chip. She couldn't believe it, all the horrible things De Bourge went through to get the small chip she was now holding in her hand. Securing the stone back in place and putting the chip in a holding container she wheeled herself towards the door to explain to Jane and Charlie why they needed to go to Pemberley.

* * *

Darcy, Richard, Georgiana and Alex spent their morning searching the family jewels for the hidden chip, but found nothing. While its contents was possible of little relevance to them, having the document would sort out the late Earl's possessions and finally close out any dealings they would have would the De Bourge family. Darcy was eager to rid himself of that plague of an Aunt and anything else connected to her, finding the will would do just that but it wasn't in any of his mother's jewels.

"Mr. Darcy, there is a Mr. Bingley wishing to enter the property" the intercom connected to the wall echoed through the room catching everyone by surprised.

"Let him in" Darcy replied in surprise. He wasn't aware Charles was in the country let alone that Charles knew he was back at Pemberley.

Everyone aside from Alex left the room toward the entrance to welcome Charlie. When Darcy opened the front door he saw an SUV similar to the one that transported him to the hospital pull up in the driveway with Charlie sitting in the passenger seat and Mr. Novak he remembered from his visit at Weinstein in the driver seat. Darcy descended the stairs to greet his friend when instead of seeing Charlie walk towards him he saw Charlie open the back passenger door to help Jane out. Figuring Charlie would turn to greet him now Darcy was confused when he saw him walk towards the trunk where he now saw Mr. Novak standing behind a wheelchair. Darcy looked over Jane and thought she looked very capable of walking herself towards the house; she was after all only three months pregnant. However, when he saw Charlie take the wheelchair from Mr. Novak and disappear with it around the other side of the car he stopped walking to figure out what on Earth was going on. When Charlie emerged into view Darcy swore his heart ripped right out of his chest.

"Bugs, what hell happened?" Richard asked in shock, moving briskly past Darcy's frozen figure to help Charlie to assist Elizabeth up the stairs.

"Uh, maybe this is a conversation we should have inside" Elizabeth suggested as she took in the worried look on Richard's face.

"Yes, of course… please come in" he said taking the now empty wheelchair from Charlie as Novak carried Elizabeth in his arms up the steps. When they all reached the entrance Elizabeth was greeted by a familiar face.

"Miss Gardiner, please allow me to thank you for saving my life" Georgiana said softly her nerves taking hold of her as she addressed Elizabeth.

"How did you know?" Elizabeth replied shocked the Georgian had figured out she was the one with Wilson that night.

"You're eyes, there unmistakable" Georgiana gave Elizabeth a warm smile and then turned to see her brother staring at her with a lost look on her face. "Please come in… It is freezing out here" she suggested as she lead the way towards the family room.

Darcy followed behind the group still caught in his state of shock, had he heard right? Elizabeth was the one who rescued Georgiana?

"How you feeling" Elizabeth asked Georgiana who was seated on the sofa next to her wheelchair.

"Much better, May I ask you the same?" Georgiana said in a whisper a bit shy.

"Doc says I'll be good as new in a month, but I gotta stay in chair for at least two weeks" Elizabeth replied trying to make the uncomfortable situation a little better. While she and Georgiana chatted about small things she could feel Darcy's eyes on her the entire time, before she arrived at Pemberley she decided she wasn't going to focus on her and Darcy's relationship, she was just going to return the ring and chip and leave, but being in the same room as him changed that decision real quick. She missed him deeply and judging by the way he was acting the feeling was mutual.

"So you've been working as an agent this entire time?" Richard practically yelled across the room.

"Really Richard? I don't think you said that loud enough" Elizabeth retorted shaking her head at Richard's blindness to being discreet.

"Frankly I think it's badass… I knew something was up when we had a meeting under the fish tank at the S.F Zoo"

"You do know you just breeched contract by saying that out loud" Elizabeth replied laughing at how easy Richard was to love.

"Oh shit… "

"Don't worry Rich, I'm sure no one here is gonna say anything" she assured finally getting the nerve to look up at Darcy who was seated next to Richard. What she saw melted her heart to pieces; he looked so lost and distraught. His eyes never left hers as she made contact and there it was the look that told her he was hurt.

"Elizabeth, maybe the two of should talk about why we're here in private" Jane suggested seeing the emotions running through the unspoken words between her sister and Darcy.

Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement and she watched as Novak moved towards she to wheel her to where ever Darcy was going to lead them, but before he grabbed on the handles of her chair she heard Charlie speak.

"Mr. Novak, I think uh, Darcy here can handle that"

"Of course Mr. Bingley, do not hesitate to call if you need any assistance" Novak informed Elizabeth as he watched Darcy take the handles of her chair.

"You know he means well, he's just under strict orders from my parents not to let me out of his sight" Elizabeth assured Darcy knowing he was probably feeling annoyed at Novak's attention towards her. She was expecting some type of reaction from him, but instead all she received was silence. Darcy's behavior started to make her feel self-conscious causing her to remain quite the rest of the way towards wherever Darcy was taking her. Finally they stopped at an opened door which from what she could see looked to be like some kind of personal office or study. Darcy pushed her inside and parked her chair right in front of the large mahogany desk. After hearing him close the door and lock it Elizabeth started to panic at his strange behavior and slide her hand into her jeans pocket to grip the pocket knife she put in there before leaving the house. She watched as Darcy emerged in front of her and leaned against the edge of the desk staring pointedly at her.

"What did Georgiana men by saying thank you to you?" He asked his tone unidentifiable.

"I was the one with Agent Wilson who extracted her" Elizabeth admitted swallowing the huge lump in her throat.

"Why didn't you tell me?" his voice filled with hurt.

"I couldn't… You have to understand why I couldn't" Elizabeth pleaded.

"Understand?... Understand what? That you're a CIA agent? That you put your life on the line for my family? No Elizabeth, I will not understand" Darcy responded letting his anger at Elizabeth's deception and endangerment of herself for his family consume him.

"What would you have done? Told me not to go? I would have left whether you asked me to stay or not, your sister is home where she belongs and those horrible people are in custody where they belong" Elizabeth said defensively.

"What the fuck were you thinking? You could have been killed".

"I made a promise to my country to serve and protect, I made that commitment knowing exactly what the dangers were… the agency lost an agent during that mission so don't stand there and throw what I choose as an occupation in face because the reality is I take pride in serving my country".

"This isn't about serving your country Elizabeth this is about you being honest with me" Darcy realized yelling back and forth wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"So you wanted me to say… Hey just a heads up I'm going to London to catch Wickham and possibly find your sister?" Elizabeth answered sarcastically.

"Oh sure joke about it, I don't think you in a wheelchair is a joking matter… do you have any idea how worried I was about you? I've watched that video you left me so many times I can point out whenever you're going to blink… this is going to sound selfish as hell but I am grateful that you are sitting here in a wheelchair because if I lost you I swear on my life Elizabeth I wouldn't be able…" Darcy tried to finish but his voice cracked with emotion at the thought of losing Elizabeth.

Hearing Darcy's trembling voice signaled Elizabeth's defeat in the argument and she pushed her chair close to him and reached out her hand to grab his.

"Don't be mad at me please, I'm sorry for not telling you the truth. I did it because I wanted to bring your sister home… because I know that if it were Jane I wouldn't be complete until I had her back, I wanted you to feel whole again. Fitzwilliam, I did it because I love you" she confessed looking up at Darcy's distraught face.

When Elizabeth said his name he melted into every word that followed. He knew he was overacting out of fear. Slipping his hand under her legs and placing the other behind her he lifted her out of her chair and walked over to the sofa in the corner of his study. Sitting down with her on his lap he buried his face into her neck need to feel the warmth of her skin.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked softly as he slowly kissed the nape of her neck.

Elizabeth lifted Darcy's hand from her lap and placed it on the spot where her bandage was concealed by her clothing.

"Does it hurt?" Darcy asked as he gently lifted Elizabeth's shirt to see the wound for himself.

"Sometime, most of the time no, but I still make Charlie carry me up the stairs even though I am perfectly able to walk up them myself" Elizabeth smiled at how easily she was able to use her injury to have her brother in law at her command.

"Does Mr. Novak carry you?" Darcy asked a hint jealously slipping through.

"No, but you should be thanking him… If it weren't for this, things probably would have turned out differently" Elizabeth responded fishing the pocket knife she had taken from Darcy out of her pocket and giving it back to him.

"I thought I lost that"

"Nope, I stole it" she confessed removing the promise ring and chip from her other pocket and handing it to Darcy. "I think you might want these back".

Darcy's eyes widened at the sight of his mother's promise ring and a small chip now sitting in the palm of his hand.

"How did…"

"Interrogation footage, same way I knew not to chop your head off for sleeping with your cousin" Elizabeth teased, but the look on Darcy's face alerted her that it was unwelcomed, "What, too soon?"

"Elizabeth, promise me you will not say anything to Richard or Georgiana about that" Darcy warned.

"I promise, as long as you promise no more crazy ass family members"

"Well I can't un-acquaint you with Richard, but aside from him I promise" Darcy said taking his mother's promise ring and placing it back on Elizabeth's ring finger and pressing his lips against that finger.

Elizabeth was touched by Darcy's gesture, but with everything about being honest blowing up before she knew there was something she needed to tell Darcy.

"I can't have children" she blurted out, letting the realization of her own words finally sink in.

"Elizabeth, I didn't say anything about us having children right now" Darcy replied confused at her sudden outburst.

"No, that's not what I meant… the bullet damaged a part of my reproductive system and I will never be able to have children" she said softly, saddened at the thought of not being able to bare the man she loved a child of his own one day.

"Elizabeth I am going to spend the rest of my life thanking you for bringing Georgiana home, and if a child is what you want then we'll adopt, but I swear to you as long as I have you by my side every single day I will want for nothing" he said grabbing her face with both his hands to make sure she understood the truth in his words.

"Are you sure you would want to adopt? Don't throw away your hopes for a family because I can't fulfill them"

"If your parent's hadn't adopted you I wouldn't have the most beautiful and brilliant woman in front of me now, so yes I'm sure that when the time comes for us to discuss having a family together I want to adopt a little angel who will blossom to be just as gorgeous and intelligent as her mother" Darcy replied silencing any response from Elizabeth by covering her lips with his and sealing his promise with a kiss.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through my first FF ever! You guys really inspire me to write more.


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